Souls and Swords
by Konerok Hadorak
Summary: They lived, they died. Forced from their homes, they plot and plan a way back. Heroes and villans must unite to find a way protect themselves from these... "Shinigami." Naruto Bleach, Naruto Hinata.
1. Chapter 1: The Coming

**A/N **Hi, my name is Konerok Hadorak, and im kinda new to writing and editing sotries, sogive me some slack while im starting out. First of all if you want more canon characters in this story PM me and i will try to work out a way to get htem in. The onse you see below i allready have a way thought out. Anyway this is the intro to this story, and i hope you guys will bear with me. well, HERE YA GO!!!

**A/N - 04/31/09: Well, i edited this chapter for easy reading. You might find it a little vague but i want to keep everything as canon as possible when dealing with the Naruto-verse. The story is based in bleach-verse, so this occures at the end of the naruto series. Ive also noticed that people are getting lost and quit on the first three chapters. I urge you to push through them to the later chapters. My quality starting out wasnt the best, so i fixed it up as best i could. Ive emproved greatly in the later chapters, and i hope youll enjoy them. Anyway, have fun with Souls and Swords! REVIEWS ARE LOVED!!!**

**A/N - 09/30/09: I've gone and updated the first five chapters to work better witht eh flow of the later chapters as there were some conintuity errors that needed addressed. That, and they were just plain terrable to read through DX I never realized how bad y original chapters were until now. Anyway, hope you enjoy the updates.**

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_**Swords and Souls**_

**Chapter 1: The Coming**

_Namikaze Naruto_

_Orochimaru_

_Hidan_

_Uchiha Itachi_

_Uchiha Sasuke_

_Suigetsu Houzuki_

_Juugo_

_Akasuna no Sasori_

_Hoshigaki Kisame_

_Momoche Zabuza_

_Momoche Haku_

_Namikaze Hinata_

_Uchiha Sakura_

_Deidara_

_Kakuzu_

_Zetsu_

_Konan_

_Pain_

_These poor souls were reserved by Fate to do something spectacular. Out of all the Great Ones, Space and Time, twins born of the same seed, are the most powerful next to Kami-sama Himself. Out of millions of different dimensions, some of them don't quite follow Fate's plan, some go rouge. When this happens most of the time Fate himself intervenes and helps that dimension's inhabitants find their way back to the right path. Time and Space pride themselves on being able to monitor and create other dimensions. Every time a human dreams, thinks or spaces out, a new dimension is created for those thoughts, and Time and Space are constantly at work. This also keeps Fate busy, since he has to keep them all in line. On such dimension however, won't be brought into balance so quickly or easily._

_They lived their lives as best they could. Naruto... he finaly found love, embodied in the form of Hyuuga Hinata, now Namikaze Hinata. Same for Sasuke and Sakura. But as they lived on, grew old and died, they began to learn that life realy isnt the only life. _

_We start out our tale in Soul Society…_

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Yamamoto so-taicho called yet _another_ Captain's meeting. Mayuri had been getting strange readings from one particular dimension that had been relatively quiet aside for two interesting incidents. The Captains filed in one after the other, a few grumbling. Zaraki had been in the middle of kicking the tar out of his division in the name of "training." 'Nough said. Byakuya wouldn't admit it but he was a bit annoyed at being summoned in the middle of filing and signing papers and documents.

He found it calming to do so, everything getting done, put away and since he didn't consider anyone else in his division to be capable of doing the work right, he felt proud to get them done. Unohana was more worried than ticked, with the wounded from an expedition to the Human world laying in her division's care, she couldn't get her mind off of them, though she was sure that her lieutenant could take care of it, she would have felt better knowing that the healing process was being done properly. When they had all settled, So-taicho tapped his cane on the floor signaling the beginning of the meeting.

Zaraki Kenpachi didn't know the word restraint, even in the captain-commander's presence. "Why the hell were we called down here? I was busy with something important." Unohana regarded him with a warm smile.

"Like sending more members of your division to mine?" Zaraki's mood didn't change.

"Damn right. Those pathetic assholes couldn't even think of fighting Hollows at their current level. The 11th is the friggen' combat specialist division for crying out loud."

The 9th division captain, Kaname Tousen simply shook his head. "There is no point to your methods except mindless violence."

Zaraki really had never liked Tousen; they were like night and day. "Coming from a pacifist I don't really think your opinion counts."

The third division captain, Ichimaru Gin, decided to input his own two-cents worth in. "No kiddin', You may not like fightin' but it's our job Tousen-san."

The three captains jumped when they heard the captain-commanders cane again strike the floor. "Enough! This is not the time or place to discuss such trivial things as this. I summoned you so that you may hear what Kurotsuchi Mayuri has discovered."

Taking his cue the 12th division captain spoke up in his sing-song like voice. "We have discovered a number of souls in a world that has been relatively quiet aside for a few occasions other than this. The souls usually go straight to Heaven or Hell right away but lately, they have been remaining in their own world. Due to the lack of reiatsu emissions from that world, there have been virtually no encounters with Hollows, so we have never sent Shinigami to regulate the souls. We have discovered near two dozen souls that are wandering there, but the number seems to be increasing slowly. We need someone, preferably of vice-captain or higher to go to that world to investigate and if all goes well send those souls to Heaven or bring them back to Soul Society."

Zaraki wasn't really paying attention. "Thats it? You called me down here for that? Unless you're asking me to go alone, I don't see how this applies to me."

Mayuri didn't hate Zaraki, but he didn't like having to explain everything he said on the level of a mental retard just so he could understand. "The reason I asked for a captain's meeting is because this applies for all of us. Souls from this world are, as I said, exceedingly rare. I'm sure many of you would take interest in it. For me it is a chance to possibly capture or convince one of those souls to be experimented on. You could basically call them a rare breed."

Zaraki still didn't care. "Tch, so what? I don't care if they're rare or not, a soul is a soul. There is no difference." But Mayuri continued, raising a finger and slightly grinning.

"And what if I were to say that these souls are extremely powerful? Would that then change your view?" Zaraki took a second to process that, before grinning manically.

"So you're saying that some of those souls could put up a fight? Then yeah, it changes my view." Some of the captains shook their heads, especially Tousen.

Ukitake Jushiro simply sighed and inwardly stated, _'He's hopeless.'_

Mayuri continued. "They are _potentially_ powerful, which is why this meeting was called. We need to decide who to send to that world. Of course I want to go, but though it pains me to say it, I alone may not be enough. I'm asking anyone else to volunteer." Zaraki agreed to go, along with his vice-captain, mainly because she wouldn't let him out of her sight even if he left her in the Sahara desert. Byakuya informed them,

"I and my vice-captain are going to be searching for my sister who disappeared in the human world last month, as such, are unavailable." Most of the captains who weren't busy were simply not interested, the 10th, 5th, 9th, and 3rd being among them Aizen Sousuke claimed he would be busy here in Seireitei, as did Tousen. Gin and the 10th division's captain Hitsugaya Toshiro were simply uninterested. Soifon agreed to go as well, though without her vice-captain if only to keep an eye on the two other captains. The captain-commander then tapped the floor with his cane one last time to signal his final decision.

"Then it is decided, the 12th and 2nd division captains, along with the 11th division's captain and vice-captain are hereby ordered to investigate this sudden surge in souls in this different world." With that the meeting was adjourned.

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_**A/N:**_Sorry for it being a short chapter, I already have the second one almost done, but I wanted to see if you guys would like the idea. Good reviews = more chapters :P Bad reviews = No more chapters, or a severely slow updated rate. Well anyway, I'm going to maybe add more characters later on, if you guys give me a good reason to. I.E. Give me a possible story as to how and why that person became a soul and such.

Well I'm done for now, cya later!


	2. Chapter 2: Collision

**A/N** Well out of the three reviews i got i guess that they're possitive enough for me to continue. You guys probably need to have more content before you make your decision. Well, heres chapter two. Sorry if you guys who subscribed got a bunch of emails about new chapters or whatever. I took me forever to realize that i need to upload chaters in seperate chunks rather than all together and spliting them. Well i think i have the jist of it. Have fun reading!!

_**P.S. I do not own any part of Naruto or Bleach. Both Naruto and Bleach are owned and Copyrighted by Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo respectively.**_

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_**Chapter 2: **_

_**Collision**_

Kisame was a member of the Akatsuki, at least when he was alive. Now with the Akatsuki dead, the remaining members, now spirits, grouped together, and even those who weren't part of the Akatsuki grouped with them, though this was only because they weren't used to this strange twist of fate. Each of the Akatsuki died either regretting something or, like Itachi, wishing to watch over the world, and miraculously, their wishes were granted: they became spirits, able to wander the earth invisible to the world.

The final showdown between Naruto and Sasuke had been devastating. Sasuke was defeated, but by a close margin. Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin were permitted by Tsunade to become leaf ninja, and Sasuke was allowed to return, but Sasuke himself wasn't happy that the council members were still in power. Well, needless to say, when Tsunade heard of the scheme, there were no council members.

Lives were lived, and to the fullest.

Sasuke died about 60-70 years later, and was surprised to find himself the same age he was when Naruto finally rescued him from the darkness that was his life. Many others had the same issue when they died. As strange as it seemed, anyone who had direct or near-direct contact to the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto, or as he is now known, Namikaze Naruto, seemed to die and then become spirits, and not only that, they appeared in the appearance of when Naruto had peak influence over them. (For example, Naruto's influence was greatest for Sasuke when Naruto beat him, so he would appear in his late 16s to early 17s.)

Though the group still had getting-along issues, they reluctantly put their differences aside for the sake of peace, since it didn't look like they were going anywhere anytime soon. They never grew hungry, never grew tired, and never grew old. They seemed doomed to wander the earth invisible and inaudible. They preferred to stay in the warm tropical environment of Konoha. Namikaze Naruto had married Hyuuga Hinata in his lifetime, and had had 2 kids, a son and a daughter. The son was a spitting image of him, while the daughter had black hair, azure eyes and fair skin.

Both children had the Byakugan and whisker birthmarks. The Konoha doctors assumed it was from the Kyuubi's influence over Naruto. Both were looked after in spirit. Both Hinata and Naruto were spirits and they retained their mid-teen appearances. Most of the group, including the Akatsuki members, were pretty sure it was because that was when they first realized they loved each other. Others seemed to appear in the age of when they made an impact on others. Once they basics of what was happening, they steeled their differences and settled down by roving among the village and around it.

As far as they could tell, very few could even tell they exist, aside for a few Hyuuga members who were exceptionally perceptive. But even those only saw them for a second or two when they strained their eyes with tons of chakra. Naruto and Hinata hoped that due to the genetic stores of chakra that both their children inherited, and with their Byakugan, they would be able to see them easily.

But that dream would have to be postponed, on account of Shinigami.

Kisame was walking around while other watched the genin hopefuls training among the trees. _'It's oddly relaxing, watching these little brats having fun without violence. They have their Rokudaime Hokage to thank for that.'_

But his thoughts were interrupted by an old style Japanese doorway that seemed to materialize out of thin air. It's doors slid open to reveal a circular doorway. Out came four black butterflies. The nearby members of the spirit group gathered around to see what was happening. These included Kisame, Itachi, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Sasori, Gaara, Orochimaru, though he kept a visible distance from Naruto who even in death had a tendency to attack the snake sannin at random times or if he got too close, and Sakura Haruno; Sasuke's wife. Kisame could feel Samehada's reaction to the doorway.

"Well this ought to be interesting."

Out strolled 4 people. All of them wore hakamas but three of them wore a white haori. A one of them had a glint in his eyes that reminded Orochimaru of himself. Another was huge, and you could feel a powerful aura around him, one could easily consider him Kisame's counterpart. On his shoulder rode a peppy little pink haired girl with an endearing smile on her face. The last one who came through had what seemed to be a permanent scowl on her face. Each one had some sort of sword on them, each one a little different than the other, but they could only tell the differences in the hilts and lengths. The one with the gleam in his eye was the first one to speak.

"Ho, it seems there _are_ unusual specimens of souls in this world, I'm glad to have chosen to come here." He said this while looking at Kisame, which irritated the heck out of him. Talking about his skin color was taboo and everyone in the group knew it.

"I hope you not talking about me; in fact you better pray you're not." Itachi put his hand on his friend's shoulder and reassured him,

"Don't worry Kisame, I don't know who he was talking to but it wasn't us, we can't be seen. Remember?" Kisame took his hand off his massive meat-shredder of a sword which had flown to the handle on instinct.

"Yeah I guess you're right, as usual. I still hate it since they're facing me anyway." The giant guy among the new arrivals spoke up.

"Can't see you? Why the heck _wouldn't _we be able to see you?" The group of shinobi all looked on with interest, as a few of them stood wide eyed. Kisame however stayed that way for only a moment, before grabbing his sword and shunsin-ing directly in front of the man with the face paint, and slicing down yelling,

"So you _were_ talking about me!" Before anyone could react, the large man, minus his tiny pink haired friend, was standing between Kisame and his target, with his battered sword holding Kisame's at bay.

"Man, you had some power behind that swing. You seem pretty strong, wanna' go all out?" The pink haired sword wielder jumped up on Kisame's head and said in an all too peppy tone,

"Kenny's been pretty bored lately, so he won't take it easy on you, but if you fight hard you might live." By this time though, the haori wearing female began glaring at the big guy.

"Zaraki! We came here to learn about these souls, not fight them." Sasuke piped in and said,

"So you know we're souls, you can hear and see us, as well as touch us, as displayed by your friend's ability to block Kisame's sword."

The girl replied, "Hai, we're shinigami sent here by Soul Society to explore this world and its inhabitants, and possibly discover why so many souls are beginning to pop up here, as they haven't done so except for a few occasions. Allow me to introduce us. I am Soifon, captain of the 2nd division, and commander of the Secret Mobile Corp. This man is Zaraki Kenpachi, captain of the 11th division. With him is his vice-captain Kusajishi Yachiru."

At the introduction the little girl jumped back onto Kenpachi's shoulder and waved, "Hi Fishy-san!" Veins started popping all over Kisame's head at this but kept his concentration on the sword he was still deadlocked with.

"And last of all, 12th division captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, also head of the Research and Development Bureau."

Grinning, Kisame introduced himself as well. "Hoshigaki Kisame, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sighing and sitting down on a rock, Itachi followed suit, "Uchiha Itachi." Followed by the rest of those were with them.

"Uchiha Sakura. Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Namikaze Naruto."

"Akasuna no Sasori."

"Namikaze Hinata. Pleased to meet you all."

'_After all these years, she still hasn't gotten over her stutter.'_ Naruto thought, but that's what made him love her all the more, mostly due to her innocence and beauty of the heart, rather than outside looks, though those were still a definite bonus for Naruto.

All they got out of Sasuke was a shrug and an "hmph," followed by a knock to the head by Sakura continued by an inaudible line; something about manners and appearances. Finally they got an introduction out of him too. The rest of the group greeted the Shinigami as well. When they were through, Kisame, who was _still_ holding Zaraki's sword back, though both of them were paying more attention to the other members of the other's party than the one in front of them with the opponent's sword, were finally separated by Itachi as he walked between the two.

Kisame hauled his sword back on the shoulders and took a few steps back. When Zaraki didn't take a step back, Itachi simply gazed at him before walking back to the shinobi group. Orochimaru was quick to get to the point, well, his point anyway.

"So, as Shinigami you must have techniques that are not available to those in the living realm correct?" Soifon answered him carefully watching him, as he seemed so much like Kurotsuchi in speech and manner; she already knew where this was going to go.

"Hai, there are, they are powerful techniques, called 'kido.' They are generated by the reiatsu, the energy that emanates from your spirit. But you don't need to really know about them, were going to send you to Heaven, unless of course you want to become experiments for the 12th division." Orochimaru grinned and replied,

"Become experiments? I was thinking the other way around. None of us want to leave this physical plane, and some of us want to know more about those abilities of yours. As spirits, we should be able to perform the same techniques that you can. And dissecting your bodies would be the perfect way of discovering how they work."

Naruto glared at him and said, "'Some of us'? Yeah, like you and you alone." Orochimaru threw an annoyed glance his way.

Kurotsuchi focused on the snake sannin however, ignoring Naruto's statement. "Oh? Are you threatening me?"

"He threatened all of us just then. Don't pay them any mind though, I'm sure he doesn't use reiatsu, and without that he doesn't stand a chance. Just send the troublesome ones to Heaven; we can take the rest to Soul Society." As she said this, she drew her sword and readied it. Orochimaru wasn't impressed. "You think a simple katana will be able to injure me?"

Soifon walked toward the sannin member with purpose and raised her sword so the hilt of the sword would hit his forehead. While she was still feet away, Orochimaru grinned manically. "I guess you won't no for an answer. Looks like I'm going to have to force that information out of you."

Placing his hands together in the tiger sign, he inhaled deeply, and then released a powerful stream of flame engulfing a surprised Soifon in them. Orochimaru stepped back and admired his handiwork. "Hmm, maybe they aren't so powerful after all."

Suddenly the flames dispersed revealing a very pissed off Soifon with a slight burn mark on her cheek. "That ability, that wasn't kido. It felt almost like a Hollow's."

Kurotsuchi remarked at this, "Oh? A human soul that can use Hollow powers? I'm even more interested now. Hey, instead of killing them why don't we take them to my division for studying?"

Soifon held her Zanpakutō in the ready position. "No, this one is too much like a Hollow, though I can't feel any reiatsu from him, whatever it was that he used for that technique gave off a very unpleasant aura. He can't be allowed to continue existence." Launching herself at Orochimaru at an extreme speed she appeared intent on splitting him down the middle with and overhead chop. Right before she was able to hit him though, a black and white blade appeared in front of hers, blocking it from continuing the stroke. Behind this blade was a boy with black hair that fell a bit above the shoulders, His face was passive but his eyes were red with three tomoe dots circling his pupil.

He wore a black T-shirt with a sort of fish-net or threaded version of chainmail beneath. Along with that were deep grayish-green pants and shinobi sandals. He had a thin black strap that strapped around his waist with a black scabbard behind him. She recalled he had introduced himself as Uchiha Sasuke, But what amazed her was that the blade looked like a hilt-less Zanpakutō. He spoke in a near monotone voice. "Not that I particularly like Orochimaru, but I can't stand by while someone is attacked without reason. He wants to stay here, but your attempts at forcing him to choose is unfair and I also want to stay."

Naruto thought, 'Sasuke, you still feel like you owe him don't you?'

Soifon reacted to him in a very odd way, that being to jump back and sheath her Zanpakutō. "It seems your all coming to Soul Society now. Koi."

Zaraki sighed. "Man, I was hopin' this would turn into a brawl. It's no fun if I go on a mission with no action. Besides why are we takin' them back to Soul Society? I thought you just said you were going to send a few of them to Heaven and crap."

Kurotsuchi answered him while eyeing Sasuke with an amused gaze. "If it's for the same reason I'm thinking, then you'll find out at the next captains meeting."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Soifon. "Why should we? If we want to stay here then we should be able to stay, it's not your decision."

Soifon replied angrily, "It wasn't a request, kuzu. You are going to come with us, whether you like it or not. You have no place in this world, not anymore."

Naruto was getting pissed off at these people now. He and Hinata wanted to watch their children and wait for them when they died. Neither of them wanted to leave. Same with Sakura and Sasuke. None of the original Konoha shinobi wanted to leave their world, but rather watch over their village in spirit, and guide young ninja through their lives.

Soifon wouldn't budge. "Your coming and that's final. You may have been able to block my attack a moment ago, but you wouldn't be able to beat us if we got serious. We were here just to observe and study, but things have gotten a bunch more complicated."

Sakura was becoming worried at this point. She inched over to Sasuke and held his hand tightly. "What's so complicated? We want to stay and watch over our village and children. We don't want to come with you, and we are willing to fight to stay here."

She glanced at Sasuke who nodded and agreement. "You can take The Akatsuki members, and Orochimaru probably wouldn't mind going with you, if only to learn your abilities. But we are not. We don't see any benefit in going with you. We need good reasons, not demands."

Kurotsuchi was becoming annoyed at the time it was taking to get through this, and he wasn't learning anything interesting anyway, or so he thought. "Wait, did you say children?"

He looked at the group and spied Naruto and Hinata close together and assumed they were mates. He then looked at Sasuke and Sakura and noticed the obvious attachment to each other. "Aren't you a little young to have children? Your appearance remains the same as it was when you died, and you remain in that appearance for as long as you're a soul. If you're all so young, you must have had children at a _very _early age. Did you die in child birth?"

The question was directed at Hinata and Sakura, but Sakura answered. "No, we were around 20 when we had our children. We died at a very old age. Naruto, myself, Sasuke, and Hinata each died of natural causes, and we were each older than 60."

Kurotsuchi was confused. "I'm afraid that impossible, souls' appearances are the same as when they physically died. If what you're saying is true then you must be very unique souls to have appeared in your youth when you died. But I notice that your friends here are not so youthful."

Itachi responded. "We were confused about that as well. We figured that as a soul we would appear in our death appearance. For myself and Kisame, as well as Orochimaru, we died at the age you see us in. We were confused though when Sasuke and his friend appeared in their youth. In fact they are exactly as I remembered them before I died. We assumed after a while that it was because Naruto each influenced us in some way, and that we all appeared in the appearance of when he had his peak influence over us. Not only that but it could have something to do with his being the container for the Kyuubi no Yoko. We aren't sure though, the only scientist among us is Orochimaru, and Naruto and Orochimaru's relationship is, to put it gently, strained."

He glanced at Naruto who crossed his arms and said, "The guy's a teme. What else do you need to know?"

Suddenly a flare of reiatsu caused Kurotsuchi and Soifon to turn around. They saw Zaraki's back, and beyond him was the senkai gate that led back to Soul Society. "What are you doing?" Soifon asked. Zaraki's only reply was a grunt of annoyance. His fuku-taicho filled in for the lack of communication.

"You should know that Ken-chan gets bored really easily on missions without fighting. You guys are fighting but not the way Kenny likes. So were heading back."

Zaraki picked up from there. "It doesn't look like you guys are doing anything that would require my help. I'm dang bored right now, so I'm going back to take a nap, wake me up if you guys have trouble with these punks." Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "So that is the gate to your spirit world? I'll join you Zaraki-san." As he was walking toward the gate he was stopped by Kurotsuchi. "Wait, if you go with him you will end up fighting him because that's who he is. Since you want to go anyway, just wait for me to escort you back to the lab in my division."

Orochimaru complied, seeing as having a lab meant that he would be able to experiment. Soifon knew that he would probably be the one being experimented on, but then again she didn't know anything about Orochimaru. "Well that's one."

These people were becoming a nuisance. "All of you. If you don't come with us we will have no choice but to send you to Heaven immediately and you will never have a chance to watch your children grow old. At least if you come with us you might be able to come back."

Not that she cared. She didn't care about much of anything really, much less the emotional feelings of others. She only cared about following the rules. Sasori had been quite throughout the whole ordeal. He had been under the guise of Hiruko, his second favorite puppet. Surprisingly, even though they had become souls, and as such should have lost the ability to produce chakra, they were still able to. In addition they were all able to use the techniques they had in life, but as spirits they had lost many of the drawbacks of those techniques. Itachi had found, as did Sasuke, that the Mangekyo Sharingan no longer caused blindness, since it put a great strain on their _human_ bodies, but not the souls.

Also, Sasori no longer had to keep his chakra producing organs in his puppet body, he was now fully puppet. Many whom they had met, including other members of the Konoha rookie teams, Suna shinobi, the Akatsuki, and others were scattered around as search parties for others like themselves. Naruto was glad that he had proposed the idea, from the way these "Shinigami" were trying to get them to cooperate; they would have tried to make the others do the same thing. Anyway, Sasori had been silent, 'till now.

"I should probably tell you that I hate waiting, and making others wait. Can we please get this over with? We say no, you say yes. One of us is going to win here. To be honest, coming with you Shinigami would be ok with us Akatsuki members, and Orochimaru, but not with the Konoha shinobi. What I'm wondering is why do _all_ of us have to come with you."

Soifon replied, "Because the so-taicho said so. With these complications added to his orders, well… Let's just say that we know him well enough to be able to improvise when it comes to missions gone awry. As the commanding officer of this mission I give the orders, and my orders are to bring you _all_ to Soul Society. NOW!"

The three Akatsuki members, clad in their infamous black cloaks with red clouds, walked toward the senkai gate. As they approached Zaraki, who stood beside it, Kisame added, "Don't get us wrong, Shinigami, but we're not following your orders, we're coming of our own accord."

Itachi went up to the senkai gate and put his hand through, then withdrew it. Looking carefully at his hand he made sure there was nothing wrong with it. Nodding to Kisame, he and his blue skinned friend walked through the gate. Orochimaru waited for Sasori who followed suit. Before following them in, he looked back at the Konoha ninja and stated plainly,

"It's your choice from here, but I would have to say it won't be very interesting without you guys. They did say you'll be able to come back, eventually. Or you can go to Heaven now. Again, it's your choice."

And with that he walked through the two old Japanese-style doors along with Kurotsuchi leaving the two shinobi couple to make their decision. Naruto held up one figure to Soifon and Zaraki, the latter of whom just rolled his eyes. Motioning to Sakura and Sasuke, and with Hinata holding on to him, they walked over a bit and discussed their options.

Sasuke didn't want to go, and neither did Sakura, but Hinata and Naruto each wished to go, if only to have a chance to eventually see their children again.

Hinata was very worried by this split of decision. "We can't be so divided, especially not now. I and Naruto-kun want to go, but we only because if we do we will be able to come back and see our kids again. Sakura, you should want to too, especially since it was so hard for you two to have your kids…"

Sasuke looked away at this comment. Sakura had sustained extreme injuries that had been dealt by Sasuke himself, though this was before Naruto had finally beaten him and cleared his mind.

Though she finally healed, the damage had been done, and Sakura had been infertile the first three years of their relationship. The doctors had assumed that even though most of her tissues and internal organs had presumably healed, there was something that hadn't been detected, something that couldn't heal naturally. Naruto then suggested a risky move, to create chakra seal that would funnel the healing properties of the Kyuubi's chakra into Sakura's system, allowing her to heal completely.

While the doctors had been skeptical, Naruto had been insistent, saying that he had to do it for Sakura. The gamble paid off and less than 6 months after that, Sakura was announced to be pregnant. Nine months after that, Sakura gave birth to a baby girl. She turned out to be the spitting image of Sakura, but with black hair and Sharingan.

She was similar in almost every respect to Sakura herself when it came to personality. And the most interesting part was that she had an extreme crush on Naruto and Hinata's son. Sakura noticed Sasuke's wayward glance and placed a hand on his shoulder. He accepted it, and placed his own on top of it. Sakura replied,

"We know, and we do want to see them again. But Sasuke and I would rather risk it here than with them."

Sasuke regained his composure and looked at Sakura.

"Sakura, I'm going to go with those Shinigami. But I want you to stay here. I need you to contact the other groups and inform them that these Shinigami can't be trusted, and to avoid them if possible. Also tell them to meet up in one big group. While they may be a target as a giant group, they will stand more of a chance than separate. As long as the rest of us go with them, they might not worry about you for a while, if at all. I need to go with Naruto and Hinata so that you will be safe."

Sakura looked into his cinder eyes as he gazed into her jade ones. She knew that he was right, and that he was trying to protect her as well as give the others a chance.

"I will come back for you Sakura, for all of you. I promise."

As if to seal the promise, Sasuke leaned in and kissed Sakura passionately. His tongue brushed against her lips requesting entrance, which she granted, allowing him to further push his tongue into her mouth, exploring every nook and cranny until he was sure she got the message. He _would_ be back. Finally, after an all too short eternity, he ended the kiss.

Soifon watched it all, though she couldn't hear them, and frankly she was unimpressed. Emotional attachments were, to her, pointless. Having experienced such attachments herself, and also experiencing the heartbreak and sadness that they caused, she simply didn't find them worth the effort.

'_This is taking ridiculously long'_ she thought. _'We should have been back in Seireitei by this time. Humans are so temperamental.'_

Finally the group got up. The pink haired girl was crying, as was the lavender haired girl. Soifon was curious about this Hinata girl, she had grayish eyes that most of the time would indicate that person was blind, but instead her eyes looked as if they could pierce the flesh and see into the soul, despite her soft facial complexion.

The pink haired girl hugged the Sasuke boy, then the lavender haired girl, and then finally, the whisker-faced teen. As soon as she was done, all except the pink haired teen walked toward the Shinigami. Sasuke spoke.

"Alright, we all agreed to come with you to this soul place." He nodded to Sakura, who nodded back, clearing the tears from her face. She turned around and leapt into the trees heading in a South-Westerly direction.

Soifon was less than pleased. "Hey! You said all of you!"

Sasuke smirked and said, "I wonder what it really means when you say 'all.' I never said she'd be going. I meant us." Indicating himself and his two friends.

Soifon glowered at him. "You realize we'll just have to send someone after her now. She's coming with us too." Sasuke lost his smirk and his eyes went deathly cold.

"No you won't. You have no idea what we are capable of, and though we have the same issue with you, we aren't trying to bring specimens back to some whack-job community of disemboweled spirits. You are, and obviously you want to bring back as many as possible as per your orders. One missing won't make a difference." Activating his Sharingan he gazed his stone cold eyes into Soifon making her shudder.

'_What is this feeling? Am I afraid of him? No I can't be; he's just a soul. But they are different from the others. This aura… its evil, tainted, it's like he's probing my mind. I… can't turn away…'_ Soifon then felt a thin bead of sweat form on her brow. She was nervous for sure. The tomoes in his eyes were spinning, like a hypnotizing tool. Sasuke smirked again.

"Looks like even souls are susceptible to my Sharingan. I'm going to go with you, and you're going to forget about that girl and focus on us, or I will personally show you why my clan is the most feared of all. Got it?"

Soifon could feel the urge to agree, but forced it down. His ability was indeed like hypnotism, but there was more to it. Her mind was strong and regulated; it isn't easy getting her to anything she didn't want to do, unless orders were to the contrary. _'But this ability…'_ She didn't know what to think of it. These souls were different, very much so, and she hoped brining them to Soul Society would be a good thing.

She would leave the girl to run, they could always pick her up later. After all, where could she hide, right? Without even realizing it, she fell for the trap of the Sharingan. Making her question herself and her motives, and then causing her to rationalize her 'decisions' that would in fact comply with the will of the Sharingan user, even though she wouldn't know it.

All she could say was "Move, now." Sasuke grinned fiendishly as did Naruto, while Hinata simply breathed a sigh of relief that her and her husband's friend was so reliable. Sasuke walked up to the gate and stepped through. Naruto pushed Hinata ahead of him to make sure she didn't get left behind. She held his hand as she walked through, and with only her hand left on that side of the gate, Naruto followed her though, refusing to lose contact with her. When they stepped through, they were in another world.

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_**A/N **__Well that's done, I have chapter three mostly done already so maybe by next week's or the week after I will upload it. The only reason I have been uploading this fast is because when I'm taking my sister to and from college I have no internet so I'm stuck with games or writing this story. I chose the story for an 8 our trip to Missouri this weekend for thanksgiving. Well till next time, please __**review**__, Ja ne!_


	3. Chapter 3: Strained Introductions

**"YES!!! I AM BACK!!!!!**** Sorry it took me so long to finish this, but it is HUGE I'm telling you." (that's what she said) "..." "Please remember that those of you in the audience are GUESTS. It is not a privilege to be here its a right. NO i mean is a priv-... not a r-.. phewww.. Let's just get to the story, 'k? This is a bit stale in thee beginning and middle but the end is where it gets juicy. After this chapter things should progress much more smoothly. Oh and i have a few questions to answer. here we go:"**

**Q. Why is Tousen, Gin and Aizen here? are you going to re-write the whole story?**

**A. No, this is BEFORE their betrayal, so Ichigo isn't in the pic yet... but he WILL be!! :D**

**Q. Are you going to make one side uber or are you going to balance them?**

**A. I am going to balance them as much as possible while still showing their specific strengths. Chakra and Reiatsu are two different energies, and must be mixed carefully. For instance, the shield that protects Seireitei is made to defend against Reiatsu, not Chakra, so a chakra user wouldn't have too much of a problem breaking it. You know, aide from the fact that it's a reinforced stone wall :P**

**Q. WHERE ARE THE FREAKING LEMONS!?!?!?**

**A. ... Lemons are art, and art can't be rushed. Besides ive never done lemons before. Ever. So give me a little bit of room to maneuver here. I won't tell you where, but there is a minor one here in the story.**

**Well, lets get started shall we? Remember, read and REVIEW!!!! If you don't review, i don't know what to improve on. It'll take, what, 5 minutes or less- no DEFINATELY less than 5 min to review. SO DO SO!!! Have fun! **

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**_Chapter Three:_**

**_Strained Introductions_**

Naruto gazed about him in wonder. He and the others were in a large court, with about 60 or so men in black hakamas surrounding the gate they just passed through. Each of the guards sported a finely made katana. Naruto could also feel the presence of maybe 30 more men surrounding them; he closed his eyes, and shifted so that the men in front of him couldn't see his eyes. Peaking through one eye only a little bit he looked out of a blood red slitted eye. He could see the heat signatures of those thirty men, and brought his eyes into focus, allowing him a similar ability to the Byakugan, though severely limited in comparison. The men, and some women, we dressed in cloths that were similar to shinobi garb, but less flashy in that sense.

Closing his eyelids, he reverted back to his blazing azure eyes. He felt like he was in the feudal age of Japan, what with the large white building, orange tiled roofs, and intricate layout of the city. It was definitely a sight to behold. Then, to ruin the moment, the 11th and 2nd captains came walking out of the senkai gate.

Zaraki and Soifon were apparently used to this view as they seemed mostly bored with the whole thing. To the group's surprise there were more members of their world. Along with Kisame, Itachi and Sasori, there was also Zabuza, Haku, and Hidan, the last one being a member of Akatsuki, one who couldn't die. Naruto narrowed his eyes and murmured, "Looks like they got them too."

Zabuza was dressed in the same uniform as the other Shinigami with his own katana. Naruto was a bit surprised he didn't request for his old Kubikiri Houchou zanbato made for him instead of a simple katana. But that was only because Naruto had much to learn.

Hinata was awed by the surrounding architecture rather than the persons around her. "Hinata, look around here and tell me what you see."

Hinata nodded, and while Naruto strolled over to where Zabuza was embracing Haku, she silently activated her Byakugan and checked the surrounding area. Soifon could sense the energy that the humans were using, though she couldn't tell what for. Their abilities felt dark, powerful, but each time there was an evil aura that surrounded them. They were completely different than Hollows. Soifon had grown up only sensing a Hollow's dark energies, and had consequently grown used to it.

But feeling this new power was a bit nostalgic. Back then she could hardly sense reiatsu and yet she could feel it clearly enough as it emanated off of Hollows she fought. Now that she could sense reiatsu clearly, she could tell that these new people were something to fear, especially the blond one. For only a moment she felt an extreme burst of malice and fury from the teen. It felt unlike any Menos she had ever fought, it seemed only the So-taicho's killing intent was comparable to this boy. _'What is he?'_

Naruto strolled over to where Zabuza with a smile on his face. "Oi! Zabuza-san! You didn't go to hell, thank Kami. We were hoping you would be able to make it to Heaven, but it looks like you ended up in this dump."

Naruto looked over at Haku, and grinned even more. "Hey Haku, looks like your happy I see." Haku was crying happily as he stood beside Zabuza.

"Hai, Naruto-kun. Thanks to these people I am now reunited with my mentor." Haku brushed the tears away from his face with his sleeve and glanced nervously at his master. Zabuza's bottom face was covered by straps of cloth just as he did in life, but his eyes were tearing with joy, that much was obvious.

"Naruto-san, it's good to see you again. When I died I ended up here. I expected Haku to be in Heaven but I soon found out that I didn't go to Hell, and Haku became a spirit on earth. But now we are finally reunited."

Naruto smiled with his signature fox-like grin. "Yeah, about that, Zabuza, what kind of world is this? We were basically force to come here or go straight to Heaven rather than be able to watch our kids grow up and stuff."

Zabuza replied, "It was for your own safety. Our world has begun to shine like a beacon as souls are beginning to remain there. Hollows, or lost souls, would eventually swarm there. In order to prevent that, we need the remove that which attracts them, chiefly being, high powered souls. If we don't then Hollows show up and eat those souls as well as living beings that also have strong spirit forces, or any human for that matter. Our world would be harder for Hollows to conquer though, due to our shinobi training and such, though as spirits we can't use chakra."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "But we can use chakra fine, and were spirits."

As if to demonstrate the fact he held out his hand and blue energy began to erupt from it, forming a facsimile to a small blue flame. Suddenly Naruto got a chill feeling from those around him. He looked up to see the Shinigami surrounding them were staring at him with wide eyes and unsteady stances.

Suddenly Naruto felt a blade around his neck. Naruto turned his head slightly to see a black man with purplish hair behind him with a katana in hand. He wore a white haori with the kanji for 9 on it. The 9 was framed by a black rhombus/diamond shape. Naruto wasn't scared, but he was nervous.

"Oi, what's the big idea? Do you just like appearing behind people and cutting their heads off or are you just into attempting to intimidate people like your friends over there?"

The man had a purple visor over his eyes and Naruto guessed he was blind from the look. The man spoke in a semi-deep voice, "Your one to talk about intimidation, what you're holding in your hand is scaring those men almost literally to death. I would suggest you stop now or suffer the consequences."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man. "You know, I'm tired of you damn Shinigami just walking up like you have the right to do anything you want just because you can. Guys like you make me sick." Naruto's eyes turned to a deep shade of crimson and his pupils became slits. The blue 'flame' in his hand turned red and increased in potency. It began to spiral around like a hurricane, and then condensed into a sphere.

The blind man pressed the blade tighter against the blond teen's neck, as if to say 'do anymore and you'll die.' Naruto didn't get the message but continued to glare at him vigorously. Suddenly Naruto vanished, only to appear running at the man at an extreme speed. The blind man swung at the blond, cutting into his side, only for him to disappear into a cloud of smoke.

The blind man jumped back in astonishment. As he was sliding back he felt that same evil presence behind him. Naruto ran up to the man and used left hand hold the blind man's right sword hand. Naruto gazed at the man in aggravation, and with an almost solemn voice said one, single, word.

"Rasengan."

The ground erupted in a flash of light. Dust and flying debris shot around everywhere shaking surprised Shinigami from their stupor and sending them to the ground or cowering in shock. Many of them murmured "Taicho…" while gazing at the newly formed crater, still surrounded in smoke.

When the smoke had finally cleared on one side, they saw the teenage boy with his right palm extended into the still dissipating dust. But when the dust had settled on both sides they saw a raven haired boy in almost all black with his left palm extended only inches away from the blond teen's right, mere feet in front of the 9th division captain.

Naruto smirked and said only, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke did the same saying, "Still as powerful as ever. You need to conserve your energy. If we plan on going back, we may have to fight our way back, but for right now, we need to play it their way." Naruto returned his hands to his pockets and walked back to Hinata who was looking at him worriedly. "Fine" was his only answer.

Sasuke knew Naruto didn't have to be told, and had let the boy attack the Shinigami because he knew Naruto was frustrated at them for taking him away from his family, and Sasuke shared those feelings. So to benefit them all he connected Naruto's Rasengan to his own Chidori.

The 9th division captain was stunned at the ability that these mere teenagers had displayed. Zaraki had become entertained by the ability demonstrated by these new souls, and Soifon was near to fuming at the ears. Several squad members ran to their captain asking if he was ok and such, while some braver members ran to intercept Naruto who simply sent a burst of killing intent into them men who froze in fear.

Naruto continued walking over to Hinata and hugged her, knowing she was worried about him. "It's all right Hinata-chan, I'm ok." Hinata nodded and let the hug last a minute. Once done, she pulled away and whispered, "Naruto-kun, I did as you asked of me, and I found the basic layout of this place is almost exactly like you would expect a feudal kingdom's capital city to look like. In the middle of this city is a fortress. You can see part of it from here."

True enough, everyone in the small courtyard could clearly see the rising castle in the center of a white city. It was beautiful, and the newcomers might have thought the very same thing if not for the circumstance upon which they were brought there. Hinata continued. "There are also many others around, thousands, millions, but they seem to mainly be residing outside the walls of this city. Only a small amount of them are located inside." Naruto nodded to her in thanks. As soon as she finished saying that, the black man spoke again. "You, what was that energy? It was disturbing; it reeked of malice and anger."

Sasuke decided that he should start talking. At this point, Naruto was getting fed up with these Shinigami. "It's called chakra. It comes from the mixing of spiritual and physical energy. I don't know why _ours_ would be that evil, but Naruto, you'll just have to get used to it, he simply can't help it sometimes. But I'm not the one you should talk to about that; he'll have to tell you himself, and considering you essentially forced us to come here or go straight to Heaven, I'd suggest you show a little more hospitality to your guests."

Tousen frowned. He didn't like being dictated to by mere human souls, no matter how powerful they are, but he realized they were right. He didn't' doubt he could have survived that attack by the boy, but it still would have hurt. He had to at least respect the newcomers if anything.

Sheathing his Zanpakutō, he bowed slightly in apology to the blond teenager. "Forgive me, I acted rashly, but you must understand your abilities disturbed the peace, and I simply cannot allow peace to shatter. My name is Kaname Tousen."

Naruto nodded in acceptance of both the apology and the reasoning. He introduced himself as well. "I'm Namikaze Naruto, and he's Uchiha Sasuke. We are shinobi of Konohagakure of the Land of Fire. At least we were in life." Naruto spoke that last bit with an audible sadness, but also pride.

Tousen noticed it and was curious about the boys. "Shinobi? Boys of your age were shinobi in your world?" Naruto was as yet not used to dealing with people who didn't know of the shinobi ways. He faced Tousen and replied, "Yeah, to be honest you can become an official shinobi when you graduate from the academy, which you can do pretty young. Itachi graduated at around 8 years old, right?" Itachi nodded.

"Around that." He also faced Tousen and introduced himself. "I am Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother. As of my death I was an ex-shinobi of Konohagakure. As you can see from my headband, I had severed the village insignia indicating the severing of my ties to the village. It is a custom of our civilization for missing-nin to do this. I found however that this headband should be mended, but as spirits we couldn't do that."

Kaname understood that fine but he was a bit confused by what the young man meant by the last statement. Sasuke filled him in. "Naruto became the leader of our village when he got older and announced that what Itachi was not at fault for what he did, and redeemed him."

The blind swordsman understood that, but then asked, "What did you do that caused you to excommunicate yourself from your own village?" Itachi closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly at the memory.

"I murdered my entire clan, save my brother."

Tousen was stunned. At first he would have thought that the man would be the last to do something of that level, both physically and morally. But then again he didn't know much about these people, and if there was one thing he learned while being a Shinigami, it was that appearances were almost always deceiving.

He was able to hide his alarm enough to reply. "Is that so? Then those other two in the black kimonos, they are also ex-shinobi?"

Itachi nodded. "Them, and myself were once part of a group of ten class-S criminals, missing-nin with incredibly infamous reputations and special unique abilities. All of us were listed in the BINGO book, a book that each land gave their shinobi. It is essentially a hit list full of missing-nin. If you are in the BINGO book, you can be assured that you will be attacked by shinobi from many lands. We were known as the Akatsuki. Our goal was to capture all the Bijuu Lords and use their power to rule the world. The combined powers of the Bijuu would be powerful enough to destroy entire countries. Fortunately Naruto and his friends were able to stop us."

Tousen was even more shocked. Not only did this man kill his whole clan, but he also was involved with a plot to rule his world, and through very genocidal means. No, shocked didn't even come close. But before he could say anything else, he felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Well, that's some story." The voice said "You must have had a good reason for it all if you were redeemed by the leader of your own village." Tousen turned and saw Kyoraku Shunsui, captain of the 8th division walking toward him with Ukitake Joushiro following.

Kyoraku was wearing his famous flowery pink coat over his haori and had his straw hat tipped down over his eyes as he approached. "I'm actually really interested in your guys' backgrounds, but before you go on, I'm gonna' need you guys to follow me to the captain's hall for a debriefing. The so-taicho is getting impatient, and you guys don't want to know what happens if you screw up while he's in that mood. Well, follow me I guess."

With that he turned around and began walking to the captain's hall. Ukitake smiled and said, "We'll continue introductions when we get there, knowing the so-taicho, he'll waste no time in pleasantries. You too Zabuza-kun, he'll want you to come along too." Zabuza nodded, and with Haku trailing behind him he said the rest of the shinobi group, "Don't worry the so-taicho doesn't bite, often. Follow Kyoraku-taicho."

Naruto nodded followed the laid-back captain down the path to the center of the city. Along the way Naruto told Zabuza, "You know, that guy kinda reminds me of Kakashi sensei."

Zabuza thought about it for a moment before answering. "I don't know, the only times I saw Kakashi-san we were at each other's throats. But if you say he really is, then I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

Naruto nodded and continued walking. It took them a while before they finally got to the center of the city. The 13th division captain informed them, "Sorry guys but the meeting hall is up near the top of the hill."

Hinata was somewhat amazed by the architecture, Itachi sighed as did his younger brother, Sasori grumbled about how long it would take him to get up the stairs, Kisame looked pained, like he was offended by even the idea that he would have to climb all those stairs. Naruto's eyes turned to white saucers as he was left speechless, and Orochimaru didn't really have a reaction to the stairs, while Haku simply trusted his master that this whole trip would be a safe one with a safe outcome.

After about 10 minutes they finally reached the top. Naruto was basically crawling up step by step, while Sasori was lagging a bit behind due to Hiruko's bulky frame and weight. The rest of the trip was much faster and they finally reached the captain's hall. Inside the room was simple wooden framework with a lighted wall on the opposite end. Hinata assumed it was so that the people within wouldn't be distracted by their surroundings. The former Hyuuga did the same with their council chambers and meditation rooms.

They filed in one by one, with Soifon, Zaraki, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Kurotsuchi, and Tousen taking their positions by the other 6 captains while the shinobi were left to stand in the center. Naruto noticed that one of captains was staring at him with a cold gaze that reminded him of Neji.

He had black hair, also like Neji, and an air of arrogance that exuded from him. Soon however the so-taicho entered the room and moved past the shinobi who made way for him and stood at the head of the crowd. As soon as he was sure that he had most everyone's attention, he tapped his cane on the floor to begin the meeting. He started it out.

"All right, let this captain's meeting begin. First of all, welcome to Soul Society. I'm going to get down to business, as the sooner we get you people sorted out we can solve the problem of the increase in souls appearing in your world. Let's begin with introductions. First off, going by division, we have myself; Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni 1st division captain and commander of Shinigami forces here in Soul Society. You have already met Soifon, as well as Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Zaraki Kenpachi, and I'm sure they have introduced themselves to you."

Soifon nodded an affirmative, so the old man went on, "Next we have Ichimaru Gin, captain of the 3rd division."

Gin smiled and waved rather childishly at the shinobi group. Naruto thought he seemed like a mix between both himself and Orochimaru which was, in and of itself, scary. "4th division captain is Unohana Retsu, our resident master healer."

Unohana bowed in respect to the group. "5th division captain, Aizen Sousuke. 6th division captain, Kuchiki Byakuya, also the head of one of the Four Noble Houses of Soul Society." Naruto mumbled, "I have a feeling I'm not going to get along with him."

"The seventh division captain Komamura Sajin." Komamura wore a wooden helmet that blacked all view of his face aside for a small glint that represented his eyes. He wore black gloves and all of his skin was covered by his cloths or helmet. Despite the helmet however, he still bowed politely, dispelling most fears of him.

"The 8th division captain and one of the first captains to be assigned; Kyoraku Shunsui." He tipped his hat in a hello and Naruto was even more convinced that he was a Kakashi act-alike.

Before he could be introduced, Kaname Tousen said that he already had already made acquaintances with the new comers. The group knew that he had left out a few "details" on purpose and simply decided that it didn't matter.

"10th division captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō is our protégé Shinigami captain. At his age he is one of the most powerful of his kind. He is also the youngest captain ever appointed." With silver hair and only a few inches taller than Sasori's Hiruko puppet, he certainly looked in every way a child.

"And last but certainly not least Ukitake Joushiro; also one of the first captains, and also one of the first the graduate from the Shinigami Academy." Ukitake grinned genuinely and waved at them.

Now that the Shinigami introductions had been finished the captain-commander asked for the introductions of the other group. However, the shinobi were willing to share their history, they all knew better than to trust anyone, especially people like this with the secrets and knowledge of their abilities, basics aside. Going through each of their stories, which took a good two hours, the shinobi group waited for the Shinigami to get over themselves.

Ukitake Joushiro simply stood wide eyed. The idea that humans could do the things they claimed to be able to do was surprising to say the least, but they would have to be tested later.

The so-taicho took things in stride. He rarely ever showed emotion so it was hard to tell his reaction to the newcomers. Komamura asked Sasuke, "Was your wife a soul too? She didn't come with you, at least as far as I can tell."

Sasuke turned to the giant with his usual impassive face. "She was a soul, just like the rest of us, but she stayed in our world, much to your 2nd captain's dismay." He said that last part with a bit of a smirk on his face, knowing full well that he shouldn't have stepped there, but Soifon merely narrowed her eyes at him. All she got in response was a shrug and "Hn".

In other words; the usual.

The so-taicho opened his eyes and spoke in his usual commanding voice to all present. "Very good then. I do believe that is every one. Since introductions are done, and its late, I think now is a good time to take a break. Tomorrow, we will convene again to decide what will be your fate. I the meantime you will be bunking in separate divisions. Kisame Hoshigaki, you will stay with Zaraki Kenpachi in the 11th division barracks. Itachi Uchiha, you will stay with Kuchiki Byakuya and the 6th division. Akasuna no Sasori, Orochimaru, you two will stay with Kurotsuchi Mayuri tonight. Sasuke Uchiha, You will be with Ukitake-taicho and the 13th division. And last of all, Namikaze Naruto, Namikaze Hinata, you will stay with..."

Each of the captains held their breath wondering with whom they would be staying.

"…Komamura Sajin and the 7th division." Each one who wasn't picked breathed a sigh of relief that they weren't the ones to house the newcomers, those who did have mixed feelings about them. Byakuya was curious as to how this serial killer would act in such a stoic atmosphere that was his division.

But as the man walked over to Byakuya, The captain could sense an air of superiority encircling the black haired man. His eyes were cold and narrowed. Much Byakuya himself, he noticed that the man acted very respectful when he had spoken to the accompanied captains.

Sasori and Orochimaru felt slightly nostalgic, since when they were both in Akatsuki, they were partners. They walked over to Kurotsuchi and all three of them knew that something crazy was going to happen overnight.

Sasuke strode over to Ukitake and bowed his head in respect. Ukitake, who had had some initial hesitation to the group finally opened up to them. This one, after all, wasn't a serial killer. But then again, he almost was. "No need for formalities Sasuke-san. You're going to stay in one of the 13th division's guest rooms tonight, but I do hope we are able to talk a bit before tomorrow."

Sasuke merely nodded, saying, "Yeah, there's a lot I don't understand about being souls, and the reason we were brought here. Those questions need answering."

Ukitake smiled and said, "Ah well, I hope I can answer at least a few of them Sasuke-san, but since this meeting is adjourned, lets head for my division."

Sasuke nodded and followed him out the door. Itachi and Byakuya's conversation was simple and to the point. Itachi thanked him for agreeing to house him, hoped to have a pleasant time with him, and the like.

Byakuya also hoped for a pleasant, and peaceful time, and told Itachi to follow him. As they walked out behind Ukitake and Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata approached the 7th division's captain. Hinata was a bit intimidated by the large "man", and gripped onto Naruto's bicep.

Naruto bowed and with a friendly smile greeted the humble giant. Komamura bowed in response to this and greeted them in response. "And this lovely lady must be your wife Hinata, right?" Naruto nodded and grinned while Hinata blushed. "Yep, she's the best there is, hehe. Soo… I guess were bunking with you for the night."

"Yes, it appears the so-taicho does not like the idea of all of you being in the same place for the whole night. While I don't like it, I can see the logic behind it."

Naruto tilted his head and gazed at the decrepit looking old man. "Well, we were threatened to either come here or pass on after all. It's a smart move. I wouldn't trust us in the same position." Komamura could only nod in agreement.

"Well then, let's get going."

On the way out, Tousen accompanied them. Naruto glared at him, and asked him, "Hey, buddy are you following us for a reason, 'r what?" Tousen responded coldly. "I'm not following you, I'm walking with you. My division is next to Komamura-san's, so I have to go this way anyway."

Naruto didn't have anything to say to that. He had learned that his loud mouth could get into worse situations rather than better ones, so in life he had learned to keep it shut. About 10 minutes later though he spoke up. "Hey Komamura-san, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

The large figure responded with an understanding tone. "You want to know why I'm wearing this armor, right?"

"Yeah. I mean, for battle I can understand but you don't look like you were recently in one, and you aren't in one right now, so… yeah, why?"

Komamura thought about it for a moment and said, "I will answer your question if you answer mine." Naruto looked up at the hulking giant and agreed.

Komamura then asked, "Your aura seems to be filled with malice and hate, and yet you seem as innocent and pure as a person the age in which you appear. Why is that?"

Naruto was expecting a more visible question but he answered it anyway. "I told you that I was sealed with the Kyuubi, and throughout my life, my and the Kyuubi's energies have merged together. His chakra is the energy you sense, mine is suppressed since I never usually use it. I never had a problem with it before, but apparently the people in this world aren't used to it, so they fall prey to its killing intent. I have a bit of an over abundance of it, so it leaks out often. This can cause me to be extremely irritable, angry for no apparent reason, and vicious." Offering no other information, Komamura then upheld his end of the bargain.

"Really? Thank you for answering. In response to your question, I am in fact not human, and many others are extremely terrified of my appearance. So I hide it under this armor." Naruto was surprised; he thought that everyone in this world was human, but this being said differently.

"So then... If you don't mind my asking, if you don't look human, what do you look like?" Komamura didn't answer that.

He only said, "Maybe someday, I'll show you." Naruto resigned himself to this answer and continued pondering the new world he was in. Komamura on the other hand was pondering his own thoughts. _'Kyuubi… Why does that sound so familiar? I guess I'll have to ask him more about it later.'_

Soon after, they reached the 7th division's door and they stepped inside. Tousen bade goodbye to Komamura and walked off. As they entered they were greeted by odd stairs from Shinigami that were scattered throughout the main hall. A single man approached them. He was about six feet, black, short-cut hair, a thin separated mustache, and sunglasses that his eyes perfectly. He wore an armband with what looked like an upside-down shogi piece with an Iris flower on it. Naruto noticed that none of the other Shinigami were wearing it, and assumed it was a rank insignia.

"Taicho, how was the meeting?"

"Yes, it went well, Iba. I need you to escort these two to the guest rooms. They're our guests tonight, and I don't want them having any problems while they're here."

Tetsuzaemon Iba glanced down at the two strange looking pair and commented, "What? These twerps?"

A bad mistake on his part though. Naruto grabbed the man by his collar and swung him around into a head lock.

"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU MEAN BY 'TWERP' TEME?! YOU AINT EVEN HALF MY AGE BAKAYARO!!!" Hinata was worried that the action her husband had taken would be considered hostile and looked between the captain and his vice-captain. But all she could hear was a sigh from the superior, but she couldn't see his expression. Quietly activating her Byakugan, veins formed around her eyes as she looked at the non-human's face. Surprised didn't even cut it. She had heard him say that he wasn't human, but of all the non-humans he could have been… Hinata had a feeling that Naruto would get along very well with the captain.

With the captain's help she was able to dislodge her lover from the choking man. "Iba, try your best to not insult them too. I have a feeling that they are going to be here in Soul Society for a very long time, and first impressions are important." Iba held his neck as he rose the floor.

"H-hai, Komamura-taicho. I-if you follow me *cough* I'll show you two to your rooms." Naruto who had miraculously calmed down corrected the fuku-taicho.

"Room."

"Eh?"

"Room. It's singular, not plural. And we only need one bed, thanks."

"Aren't you a little young to be that way?"

Once again the fuku-taicho found his neck being closed by the blond's arm. "THERE YOU GO AGAIN KUSO!! I'M FRIGGEN TWICE YOUR AGE YOU FRIGGEN PUNK!! QUIT CALLLING ME 'KID' OR I'LL STRANGLE YOU FOR REAL!!!" Once again there was a tug-of-war between Komamura and Hinata with Iba and Naruto being the rope.

All Iba could think was, _'Air…air…air…air…air…air!!' _Hinata was finally able to pull the still struggling Naruto back away from Iba who had also been pulled back by his superior.

Komamura muttered under his breath, "Maybe I should have Jirōbō do this instead…"

Iba raised his right hand while gripping his neck with his left and said, "N-n-no taicho…*cough*, I'll do it… *caugh*, right this time. *cough, cough, HACK!!! A-a-ahem*"

Finally clearing his throat he bowed respectfully to the two "twerps" and did things the "right" way.

"My name is Tetsuzaemon Iba, fuku-taicho of the 7th division. I'll show you to your rooms now."

"Room."

"Eh?"

"Only one room."

"Aren't you ki-" Iba caught himself before making another blunder, in fact the same one he had made just before. "Ahem, riiight, I'll see you to your _room_."

Before turning around he threw a questioning glance toward his captain. Komamura went over and whispered, "They're married, and they're older than they appear."

Accepting this for an answer Iba led the way. Down a few hallways he opened one of the guest rooms and with Naruto's help they moved one bed out and rearranged the furniture to be more cozy considering the extra space. Giving them a schedule for the divisions activities, either for them to avoid them or join in them, and took his leave. Naruto laid down on the bed and gazed over the schedule Iba had gave them and looked at the time.

"Well Hina-hime, we've got about two hours till dinner. What do you want do?"

"I don't know Naruto, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know what do you wa- never mind, I'm clueless."

He glanced over at her and noticed she had a slight blush on her face. He had seen it so many times he had gotten used to it, but this blush was instantly recognizable. He knew what was on her mind every time it appeared on her face.

"Actually Naruto, I do have _one_ idea." She turned her head to the side and blushed even more. She always felt embarrassed even mentioning it.

Naruto smiled and said, "Come on." Her face brightened up immediately when she heard that. She locked the door followed after Naruto. This was going to be a fun two hours.

Elsewhere Sasuke was settling down to his humble room and decided to take a nap before dinner was ready. Sasori, Orochimaru, and Kurotsuchi were in for a looong day. Itachi and Byakuya had some formal discourse before Itachi retired to his room to get situated before dinner. Poor Kisame, he didn't know they were having shark-fin soup for dinner. I actually kinda feel sorry for the chef. Oh well, they're expendable.

* * *

**A/N: Well, theres chapter three. Hope you liked it! Please review to tel me what you think. Without reviews, im lost... j/k but i realy do need reviews. Feedback of anykind is welcome!**

**Well this chapter took me a month or two to finish so I hope you like it. As I said, I HATE!!! intros, simply because I have to rewrite their whole backround and junk, and some, like Kisame and Orochimaru we dont know a whole lot about yet. **

**And before you ask: Yes I intentionally cliff hanger-ed you on the lemon. Heheh :D (My parents allways said i was evil). **

**Anyway, *ducks* HEY!! WHo threw that can?! *Ducks again* Cut that out, be thankul i gave you anything!!! *A shadow looms over the authors head.* Oh youve got to be kidding me... *gets hit with Komamura's Bankai.**

***The dust settles...* "HA!!! YOU MISSED MY ARMS SAJIN!!!" *****is hit in the face* **

**"I didnt that intentionally you brat! I need you to continue writing this amazing fanfic. So if I crush everything non-vital in your body besides your arms, you will have a _little_ motivation to get these things uploaded on time." **

***coughs (wow now i know how Iba felt...)* "Oh, speak of the devil..."**

**"KUSO!!! YOU FRIGGEN BRAT!! I SHOULD KILL YOU FOR MAKING ME APPEAR THIS WIMPY AND PATHETIC!! IM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 'MEN'S ASSOCIATION 'FOR KAMI'S SAKE!!!"**

**"Not anymore, Mayuri stole your funding remember?"**

**"...I hate this guy."**

**Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!! **

P.S. Reviews make me happy :)


	4. Chapter 4: Plots

**A/N: "HEEEELLLOOOO!!!!!! Well ive gotten a few messages saying to hurry my butt up and get in gear. Well in order to save my story and my fans, i have posted this fourth chpater. Its shorter than my last one but i still think its pretty long. Anyway enjoy!!"**

***Dodges a sword* "Whoa, hey!! Look Aizen i'll give you your scenes, just not this time. This one focues on the Akatsuki."  
"So? I'm far more important than they are."  
**_**'What an ego...' **_**"Um, no, there are a few people who could beat you AND your genocidal plans. Actually hes more genocidal than you."  
"Prove it."  
"Oh man, i was hoping you wouldnt say that..."  
Pain: "Shinra Tensei."  
*World is doomed!!!!* **

**Who would want to see those two fight, huh? :P Well I might just have them do that eventually. Or not, you'll have to see. But, you will only see IF you continue deading, subscribe, favorite, etc.**

**Anyway, you know the drill; Read and REVIEW!!!!**

* * *

_**Chapter 4:**_

_**Plots**_

Rukia awoke with a start. She knew where she was. Soul Society. Memories flooded her mind, memories of the day before, of the day before that, of the week before, and of the entire month in the human world. She was in the Shrine of Penitence. She had been sad when she first came back, but now she had calmed down, if only a little. She had cried herself to sleep however, but a fresh morning made things seem a bit clearer. She realized that she would be held here for many years, for that was the punishment for the "crime" she had committed. She secretly hoped Ichigo was ok; she hoped that someone, perhaps Orihime, or even Urahara-san would find him and Uryu. But thoughts such as these were useless at the moment. With no hope for escape, nor for parole, she settled herself to watching Seireitei from high atop her pinnacle tower. After all, she had nothing better to do.

_**Five days Pass**_

Hidan wandered through Seireitei. He was bored and pissed off at these stupid "Shinigami" who had brought him here. Now, when Hidan is pissed, _and_ bored, and you push him the wrong way, you're dead. Hidan had been trapped under that rubble for near eighty years. Normally, one's soul is connected to their body, but due to the Jashin experiment done on him that enabled his immortality. But the experiment cause parts of the soul to be disconnected from the body, and the parts that remained connected were enhanced. If one is stabbed through the heart, the soul cannot be supported, and so the soul leaves the body, becoming a singular entity. Only powerful souls are able to survive after separation from the body. Hidan's soul was unique. His soul could not be disconnected from his body by physical damage. No matter what happens to his body, his soul will remain attached, sustaining his body even after fatal wounds. What he hadn't expected was to actually be rescued.

The Shinigami had found him since his soul level was crazy high and he was still alive, but their readings told them that he _should_ have been dead for nearly eighty years. Having dug him out and found out that he was still alive, and conscious, scared more than half of the search party. But he didn't blame them. Having a disemboweled head talk to you is a bit unnerving. Having been, coincidentally, from the 4th division, they were able to find all of his scattered body parts and brought them together. They attempted to separate his soul from his body, but were unable to do so. Hidan merely laughed at their foolishness. Being force with having to bring back the whole body and soul, they sewed up his limbs and with some difficulty Hidan was able to move again. But since he hadn't moved for near eighty years, his muscles needed working. Having to lean on a Shinigami aide to move was embarrassing, but he bore it as best he could. They informed him of the whole shebang with the other souls and how they were dispatched to find other souls. Hidan drank it all in.

He was arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. Before they activated the Senkai gate, Hidan asked to visit a specific place before he left with them. Limping back about 10 miles, they came to an arid expanse of dead, gray trees. Hidan looked around, and directed them to the north, where they found a cleared out area of land. Scorch marks riddled the area, as well as engravings on the ground. Hidan directed them to look around for any kind of weapon. When none was found he asked the squad leader, "Can that device that you used to find me be used to track whatever it is that I touch?" It was difficult, but Hidan insisted that he find this object. With a few modifications, the device soon found the object; buried under 3 feet of dirt.

The digging didn't last very long, so when they found it, they were surprised to find that the object was a red, triple bladed scythe. The metal rope on the end had been shattered in the fight that led to his imprisonment, but it was deemed replaceable. With his weapon recovered he agreed to go with them to Soul Society. Technically he didn't have a choice. Even with his scythe he was too weak to even stand on his own. The Senkai gate had to be covered with a special covering that would allow his human body to get through. Once through, he was taken directly to the 4th division's medical ward.

His body was practically all stitches and dried blood, as well as fresh blood from his heart now pumping again, causing the stitches to rip here and there. He was so damaged that they had to call in the captain of the division to help him. Hidan felt particularly uncomfortable around her. She didn't seem like the violent type, and she was very polite and kind. Hidan, ever the swearer, surprisingly didn't feel comfortable doing so around her. When asked how he had survived, he told her about his religion; Jashinism, and about Jashin, his god. She listened intently while fixing him up and doing tests on him. She told him that some of his limbs needed to be reattached more precisely, as the first attachment was made a bit hastily.

When she was about to numb him down, he pushed her hand away, claiming that the pain he would feel would be for Jashin, as part of his payment for failing to kill that kid long ago. While Unohana didn't understand everything about his religion, she respected his wish and proceeded with the surgery. It proceeded smoothly, with Unohana and Hidan talking more throughout the operation. By the end of it, Hidan understood a lot about the world he was now in, and the situation with his own. Now two days later, thanks to some medicine, Hidan's muscles were regenerating at an amazing rate. More than half of his original strength had been restored. And now here he was walking around Sereitei, searching for something fun to do.

With his scythe repaired and re-sharpened, he had nothing to do since he didn't have any actual friends and his partner; Kakuzu had yet to be brought here. Hidan had yet to repay his debt to Jashin, so he had a lot of people to kill. For a failure such as the one he had suffered, the total price would probably be about three people. Having walked around the place, avoided the 12th division barracks as per Itachi's advice, and having been given more than one curious glance, he finally decided that the best place to find worthy sacrifices would be the 11th division, where the casualty rate ran high, on _any_ day.

Walking up to the door he knocked three times, to no answer. Knocking again, he received a "get lost." Then next time he knocked, the door came down. "OI!! Didn't you shits hear me, or are you all deaf as well as retarded?" All he got were stares and curses.

"Hey! You don't go insulting us 11th division fighters and get away with it!"

"You busted down our door, get ready to pay low-life!"

"You're going to wish you'd never been born!"

"Get 'em boys!!"

Hidan smiled. "Here we go. Jashin-sama, please help me find at least a few worthy sacrifices."

Zaraki had been bored the entire day. Kisame had proved a worthy sparring partner. However, he refused to use his "sword" and insisted on only using either wooden training swords or someone loan him their katana, which he was having trouble calling "Zanpakutō". His physical power was astonishing, and his strikes were bone-breaking. Literally. He had broken the arms of almost every one he struck at. One by one, his men were appearing with bandaged arms and slings around their necks. Other than that, Zaraki hadn't done much. The first night was entertaining though, with him having to send for a new cook.

_Flashback_

_Kisame sat down at the table. His inhuman size caused those around him to be a bit intimidated, but then, people his size weren't uncommon in Sereitei. Kisame didn't mind sitting with the regular members of the division, as he didn't want to have to deal with the ranked officials looking down on him. Since he was sitting on the end of the table, he leaned Samehada against the table-end. He found the newer members of the division quite entertaining, with their goals and ideals so ambitious. When the food came out Kisame was starved. _

_He took a bit. _

"_MMM, what is this? It's good!" _

_The other members around him scootched back a seat and said, "Um, its Shark fin soup…" Kisame , paused for a second. He looked down at his bowl… Then up at the men… Then back down at the soup. _

"_Exhuse meh." _

_The garbled words of Kisame were barely heard as he got up and walked over to the restroom. 10 minute later he came out smelling like breath mint and toothpaste. _

_He walked by his seat and asked the men, "Where's the kitchen?" The men shakily pointed and Kisame picked up his sword and walked into the corridor and out of sight. Three minutes after that Kisame came back and sat down. The men wondered what happened. Kisame took out a tuna-fish sandwich and began munching on that. When the meal was over, Kisame retired to his room. When the men who sat with him didn't figure out what happened they went to check on the chef._

_When they entered the kitchen they found the chef dangling over a pool, full of sharks. They were about to let him down when the realized that the rope was being gnawed on by a school of piranha. Before they could do anything the rope snapped._

_Flashback End_

Zaraki chuckled to himself about that. Even he thought it was funny. Normally he only thought that fighting all out was funny, but what Kisame had pulled was just freakin' amazing. His lieutenant had told him how "Fishy-chan" had taken a liking to fish-sticks and sushi, which either didn't exist in his own world or was hard to find, and how he had been "getting along" with the rest of the division. Truth be told, everyone who hadn't gotten their arms broken, and those who had, were pretty much scared to death of insulting him. Zaraki really didn't care about that stuff, but it was still pretty funny. What he really wanted was to let loose on someone. Theeen he heard a commotion outside.

"Oi, Yachiru, go tell the men to settle down. I can't sleep with all this noise."

"Ok." As she rounded the corner of the hallway she was in she almost got hit by a body shooting past her. Not caring to see if the man was hurt, she simply gazed in curiosity at the man sitting on a pile of bodies. "Ehh? What're you lookin' at, huh?" Hidan was curious too; why was there a little pink haired girl with the lieutenant's badge on?

The girl just looked him over.

"Oi, say something, kora!"

The girl just continued to stare at him. Feeling he needed to leave this awkward situation he placed his bloody scythe back on his back and began to walk away. He already had his three sacrifices. Before he could leave entirely though, a voice behind him made him cringe.

"Eheeh! Neat scythe 'San-san'" (San meaning three, and the title San meaning Mr. Of course it could just be saying Three twice, like "Maki-Maki" Realy it's your choice.[She is of course referring to his triple bladed scythe])

Hidan's eye twitched.

She. Did. _Not_.

"What the hell was that teme?! You better not have just called me that!" He spun around and twirled his scythe around. "You wanna go? Do ya? DO YA?!"

Yachiru just smiles and laughed. "Your funny San-san. But Ken-chan would rather fight you. But he did tell me to quiet everyone down… What to do then?" She placed her hand close to her chin as if pondering some great thought.

Hidan was beyond annoyed. He didn't have a problem with killing kids so he charged.

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!!"

He leaped in the air to deliver a one handed overhead chop, aiming for the largest blade to pierce her head. It never connected. Zaraki stood there interposed between the two. His sword had blocked Hidan's chop.

But now Hidan was mad. "Gee, defending a weakling like that? Just wrong, man. You should let those who can't protect themselves die."

Kenpachi grinned slightly. "Man, she could kick your ass any day."

"Then why protect her?"

"Reflex."

"Yeah right. You jump from another room to block a blade that isn't even coming near you. Reflex my ass."

"I aint kiddin'."

"Sure you aint."

"What? You wanna fight? You're only human; you wouldn't stand three seconds."

"Wanna prove it?"

"Why not?!"

Kenpachi laughed as he pushed Hidan's weapon back, and as he was sliding on the floor, Kenpachi swung a right horizontal slash at him. Hidan blocked it and spun swinging at Kenpachi's head. Kenpachi grabbed it by the middle blade and held it tight. Without hesitation he stabbed Hidan through the heart. "Five seconds. Ok so you were fine." He never expected what happened next.

"OWW!! Damn that hurt like a bitch!! Argghh… You… I'm gonna fucking murder you!" He jumped back as Kenpachi released his grip. Kenpachi was surprised to find his hand slightly cut.

"What the hell? I know I stabbed you in the heart, and you're human, so you should be dead."

Hidan laughed; "HA! God will smite ignorant assholes like you, with me as his weapon!" He raised his scythe's blade to his mouth. He never got the chance to finish though. A tanned hand gripped the red metal of Hidan's weapn, firmly holding it just outside the range of his tongue.

"What the hell?! Kakuzu?! They got you too?!"

Kakuzu let go of the scythe's handle. "Yeah, they got me too. But what are you doing? You're going to go all out on a captain? Save your strength."

"Why the hell should I do that? I was just about to kill him!" Kakuzu shook his head.

"I doubt that. The captains are the strongest of all the Shinigami. You actually might stand a chance, but you could still get yourself killed. Besides, guess who else they got?"

"Like he could pull it off. And I couldn't care _less_ who they got. If you want to tell me just do it."

Kakuzu's eyes narrowed. "They got the Leader." Hidan didn't even flinch, but he did throw his head back in exasperation. "Well god that was important." Hidan was an expert at sarcasm.

Kakuzu continued, "That's' not all they got, they got Deidara and Konan too."

"Fucking Hell!! Are they going to get all of the Akatsuki?! Damn! I fucking need to take some of this anger out on someone!!" He looked over at the massive man in the room.

Kakuzu just stared at him. "…Are you stupid?"

"What was that?!"

"Just shut up, the Leader's calling." Kakuzu glared at Hidan 'till he got the message.

"Tch, whatever." With that he walked out.

Kakuzu glanced back at Kenpachi who had been silent the whole time. "Zaraki-taicho, I believe. You're lucky. If he had gone all out, you might not have survived. I don't know much about Shinigami, or their powers, but I know that your swords have two different levels of power. But you are unique, yours doesn't. Without those two levels, and with your style of fighting, you would have died for sure."

"I had heard we were going to get more of those souls from the new world, but I hadn't expected them so soon. So you're Kakuzu, huh? You seem pretty smart. But are you powerful? You won't last very long here if you aren't."

Kakuzu turned and walked out. As he did he said, "Compared to you… not yet."

Zaraki rested his sword on his shoulder as he watched them walk out. Yachiru jumped up on his shoulders and watched the others leave. The doors to the barracks wee broken down and the floor was littered with bodies. "Ken-chan, should we send them to the fourth division?"

"Nah, they were beat in the most pathetic way. Let 'em stay there. If the fourth division really cares, they'll come here and get 'em."

Yachiru chuckled as Kenpachi sheathed his sword. '_Just what are these new souls hiding? How did that guy just walk away from a stab to the heart? I guess the best question is 'what are they?' '_

While he pondered these things a meeting was taking place.

* * *

In the sewers of Seireitei, eight figures joined in a circle. They were green mostly but with a rainbow type shade. The only things that were clearly visible were the eyes of each individual.

"_So, we're all here?_" The figure who spoke this had spiked hair of an unknown color, and his eyes were a ripple design.

"_Everyone who has been brought to Soul Society. The rest are most likely on their way, but we can't communicate through dimensions, unfortunately._" This figure had two orange eyes and spoke in a feminine style. Her hair was bundled in a type of knot in the back, but that's all that can be seen.

"_Oi, oi, Why the hell did you guys agree to come here? I thought that Sakura girl told you guys to fight them and escape._" Deep violet eyes, slicked back hair and a foul mouth. Guess who?

"_Because the Leader has a plan to control this world. H'n._" This figure had long hair that covered one side of his face. His eye was grey in color.

The first figure answered, "_It's true. I fought back a little to make it appear that I did not want to follow them. Making myself seem weak was the only way they would not expect anything from me, though they still know my story, they expect my powers to be weak. From what we know, they use reiatsu. We use chakra. Chakra is weak against reiatsu, but not so the opposite. I am in the process of making more bodies, but it will take a day or two to finish the rest. In the mean time, I want to speak to you about the new plan. From those I've interrogated with my new Naraka Path, I've learned quite a bit about this, 'Soul Society'. For instance, they have a king, but it is run mostly by a division known as Central 46. They make most of the decisions in this world. Even the 13 court captains cannot over rule a decision made by them. However, the so-taicho can. With this information, I have tried to devise a new plan to take over this world._"

"_What makes you think the others will agree to that? After all we were their enemies in life, and some of us still are._" A plump figure stated. He was wearing a straw hat and his eyes were tiny black pupils.

"_Because none of us wanted to come here. They will agree so far as to force them to let us go back, as long as they haven't become complacent._"

One in a mask with red eyes and large green pupils stated, "_But you said it yourself. Chakra is weak compared to reiatsu._ _Thanks t your Naraka Path, you have been able to find out how to use reiatsu, but aside for probably two others of us, it will take years till we can mold it correctly._"

The spiked hair responded calmly, "_That's correct. That is why I have agreed to allow an old friend of yours, Sasori, to join Akatsuki. Or should I say RE-join._" The rest of the figures seemed taken back at this. "_You can come out now._" Out of the shadows stepped yet another silhouette. This one had shoulder blade length hair, and its eyes were yellow with slit pupils. Around his eyes were purple marks that were reminiscent of a snake

"_You, your…_" The plump one began to say.

"_Kukuku, I was expecting a much warmer welcome. After all, I'm here to help you out._"

"_Orochimaru has been working with Kurotsuchi-taicho to create implants for us. These implants take information on reiatsu and allow you to mold it like you would normal chakra. This allows you to avoid learning it, but when you try and form chakra you will instead draw out your reiatsu. I've already implanted it in myself. There are no side effects. By the time the implant wears off, you mind and body should be accustomed to drawing out reiatsu on your own without too much trouble._"

"_So when will we get them injected?_" This figure had a large sword on his back. He had small black eyes and spiked hair.

The last figure responded. He had red eyes with three tomoes surrounding the pupil. "_Orochimaru will distribute them among us tonight. He will meet each one of us, and when we have finished, I will give the rest to whoever needs them from our world. The non-Akatsuki trust me and will accept them. There will be no treachery. If we are to rule this world we will need all the help we can get._"

The first figure spoke for the last time. "_In life we failed, in death we are given a second chance. Once Central 46 is destroyed, we will move on to the King of Souls Society. When we rule, even the 13 Court Guardians will bow to us. When we control this world, the world of death, we will dominate the world of life._"

With that, one by one, the figured disappeared into distortion, and then into nothingness, leaving an empty room.

* * *

**A/N: "Well that was fun! Bet you cant wait for the next one can you? Well considering Kenpachi is chasing me through Rukongai at the moment, it will take an indeterminate amount of time. I can allready hear his footsteps... He has over run me in several areas. I've bared the gates. I cannot get out..."**

**"JK!!! But seriousely, hes standng right behind me so, yeah, please review (They make me happy) and subscribe. Cya later!"**

**"There you are you punk!!"**

**"OH SH-!!"**


	5. Chapter 5: Messages

**A/N: "Well, here's chapter six of my story. Its all adding together, soon the **_**real**_** action will take place. But this, as well as the next chapter will be the culmination of all of my work so far. It will also begin the Soul Society arc, the part where Ichigo and co. bust in BE READY!!! If you're a Naru/Hina fan, you'll like the next chap as well as this one. But I won't spoil anything."**

**"...What? No! I'm not gonna... They already know! Geez, fine... I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH! THEY ARE THE PROPERTIES OF MASASHI KISHIMOTO AND TITE KUBO RESPECTIVELY!!!!"  
"There, happy?"**

**"Read and Review!!"**

* * *

**_Chapter 5: _**

**_Messages_**

Night fell. Naruto and Hinata paced around on the Sōkyoku hill top. He and Hinata had both taken the injections, courtesy of Itachi. Itachi had left out that Orochimaru had really been the one to make them; he was certain that Naruto would be quite reluctant to take the formula. Naruto glanced at Hinata, who was looking up at the moon.

The light reflected off of her pale skin and shone in his eyes, causing her to become a type of silhouette. Naruto sighed at her, a content smile planted on his face. _'After all these years, her beauty is astounding. This moonlight only makes it even better. Really sets the mood too. Oh, but then, we're probably being watched by those freakin' Shinigami. Man, that's a turn off.' _

Hinata noticed his gaze and turned slightly. "You know, Naruto-kun, you really need to learn not to stare at others, its bad manners." She poked him in the head playfully.

Naruto chuckled. "Heheh, sorry. It's just that I get so caught up in you that I forget that I'm looking at an angel."

Hinata blushed but didn't lose her smile. "Oh Naruto. You always had a way with words, one way or another." Naruto laughed as he remembered all the things he used to say when he was younger, and alive.

Oh who was he kidding? He _still_ said those things.

"You know Hinata, I really hope that coming here was a good idea. I mean it's odd. I really don't get along with a bunch of the Akatsuki members, but we may end up fighting alongside each other. We all have the same cause, and we all have the same feelings. I always viewed them as different in every way from us, but when you think about it, it was only their goals that were different. In reality, they were just other people, driven by their ideals and ambitions."

Hinata nodded. "I've thought the same things on occasion. It gives you a whole different perspective, doesn't it?"

Naruto glanced gazed at the moon. "Sure does."

* * *

Elsewhere, in Genryusai's office, both Zabuza, the fourth seat of the 11th division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Byakuya, Komamura, Zaraki, Soifon, and Ukitake were lined up in front of the Captain-commander, who himself sat behind a desk, with his lieutenant standing behind him and to his right. "I have called you here to discuss the behavior of the new souls in the last few days. As you were the ones who have sheltered them in the last week, I want to know your opinions of them, and if they are potentially dangerous."

Zabuza raised his hand and asked, "If I may, so-taicho, why am I here? If you are to ask my opinion of them, I'm sure to be biased, for Haku's sake. My input would be useless."

The wizened face of the old man nodded to him. "That's correct, but you are not here to share your opinion. You are here to relay the opinion to the other captains. Whatever these six say, you repeat to the other six, understood?"

Zabuza was a bit startled. "H-hai. As you wish so-taicho." Genryusai turned back to the five captains and bid them begin.

Byakuya went first. "My first impression of the older Uchiha boy is a good one. Much like myself, he comes from a noble house, and I sense no malice or evil intent from him. That is in stark contrast to his so-claimed past. I haven't had enough time with the other one, Deidara I believe, but I believe he is simply a fanatic artist, even if he is genocidal."

Soifon went next. "The girl I was entrusted with isn't very open. All she does is walk around with that 'leader' person, and when she isn't doing that, she's making origami. Frankly, I would need more time to observe her." Nodding to the next one, Ukitake spoke.

"Uchiha Sasuke is very difficult. His past is so twisted and confusing, I think he is for the most part harmless, at least as far as Soul Society's safety is involved. He seems to be loyal to his family and such, but that's all I can get."

Zaraki: "Well, I was stuck with probably half of 'em, so I'm just gonna sum it all up. 'K, so for that fish-man, Kisame Hoshigaki, he's pretty much just a brute who follows orders, or tries to have a fun time with what he can. The ring eyed guy really doesn't do much; he just sits around and meditates. The masked one… Kakuzu? Yeah Kakuzu. Anyway, he's only concerned about money. All in all they seem like pretty normal people."

Komamura: "Namikaze Hinata and Namikaze Naruto are quite complacent. They, from point of view, are completely harmless. Like Uchiha Sasuke, they care only about each other, friends and family. To be honest, they are mostly just as curious about us as we are of them."

Mayuri: "First off, I'll talk about their personalities and danger levels. Both Orochimaru and that Sasori fellow are very dangerous, but so am I, as they are both scientists, to some degree. Sasori tends to sit in the back ground and make suggestions while at the same time discuss rather in-depth subjects, commonly revolving around art. Now, Orochimaru on the other hand, makes an excellent assistant. I might say he's as interested in our kind as I am in theirs. I would lean toward Orochimaru being the more dangerous of the two, but I don't see what motivation he would have towards being dangerous. Secondly; their abilities. I was able to have a very good demonstration of both of their abilities first hand. In the beginning they were unwilling to demonstrate their 'jutsu' they called it. However I was finally able to convince them."

_Flash Back_

"_But Mayuri-sama, releasing the experiments will cause us to lose any many useful and rare specimens" Kurotsuchi turned his head to regard the speaker. _

_Deep within the Shinigami Research and Development Institute stood Mayuri in front of a whole assortment of machines. This was the place that all of his work was done, including watching over, and controlling all of the systems of the SRDI. "It doesn't matter. If this goes well then I will gain more for my troubles than simple hollow specimens. In fact, I may even get new specimens to work on. Open the cells, Nemu." _

_Nemu bowed her head and complied. "Hai, Mayuri-sama." _

_She tapped a few keys on the board in front of her and the specimen containment cells began opening. Out walked a whole assortment of deformed hollows and animals. Many of them had been modified and upgraded. Not to the point that they would pose a threat to SS if released, but empowered non-the-less. _

_A few of them had been implanted with enhanced reiatsu scanners. "Oh, looks like they found them. Now we just sit back and watch the show." The Hollows then roared and sped off to pulsing reiatsu signals. _

_Orochimaru and Sasori were walking down the hallway. Orochimaru had gotten an Akatsuki cloak and having been reinstated to his former position, he wore it proudly. On his left pinky finger rested his Akatsuki ring. The Kanji stood for Void. Sasori thought about all the missions he and Orochimaru had been on, and nostalgia set in, if only a little. But both of them were aware enough to sense the creatures approaching. _

"_Sasori." _

"_I know."_

"_Were going to need a bit of space."_

"_Yeah."_

_They picked up the pace, as much as they could without Sasori lagging behind too much in his Hiruko puppet. Finally they reached a large circular arena type room. It seemed to be a nexus for many intersecting hallways. Orochimaru looked around. Strange masked creatures seemed to pour from every nook and cranny in the room. "Hmph. I wouldn't be surprised if this was only an excuse for the pushy Mayuri to see our abilities." _

_Orochimaru nodded. "Kukuku, then let's show him some. After all, I have hundreds to spare." Sasori grunted in response. The Hollows roared and charged._

_Mayuri looked on with barely held in anticipation from his safe position inside his observatory. "Be sure to record this Nemu. I want to review this later." _

_She nodded. "Hai." _

_The first hollow went for Sasori. Without even moving he watched the beast pounced upon him. The beast was instantly impaled with a segmented metal tail. The tail swung around and threw the creature onto the ground, leaving it to painfully bleed out the rest of its short life. Sasori shed his Akatsuki cloak and hunched over on all fours. His shell glistened in the light the room gave off. His tail swung around, like it was goading the creatures to attack. "I hope you're better than that." Another creature saw Orochimaru the easier, and tastier meal. It slashed its claws at the sickly looking man as a means of attacking him. The claws pierced his flesh and ripped a large pair of gashes down his body. But just as the blood would have begun to leak out, the body turned to mud. Orochimaru appeared behind the monster with an evil grin on his face. The Hollow turned and tried a horizontal slash, hoping to disembowel its prey. The pale man quickly spun inside the monsters grasp. A sword seemed to pierce right through the heart of the monster. The monster thrashed in pain, while the sword cut upwards in one swift stroke cutting up through the shoulder, exposing the blade to the air, it then swung in a 360, decapitating the monster. From his screen Mayuri watched as the beast faded into the air, as all Hollows do, and saw the sword retract into Orochimaru's mouth. "Too easy, Sasori, let's just finish them all." _

"_Yeah, these are no fun." Throwing off his third Hollow, Sasori jumped t the ceiling, which one would think to be a seemingly impossibility. Orochimaru stood his ground and brought his hands together in two seals. '__**Doton: Yomi Numa!**__' The ground turned to sludge around him. The Hollows surrounding him began to sink into the ground. Howling in rage the attempted to get to the one slab of solid ground, the one Orochimaru was standing on. When all of the Hollows were sunk beneath the ground, Orochimaru lat his hands fall to his side.. "Heh. Useless creatures. I had hoped they would be stronger. I'm not going to waste my time with them."_

_Mayuri was back in his office practically screaming in ecstasy from how amazing these new abilities were. _

_End Flash Back_

"They have unique powers. Each one of them seems to be unique in one way or another. Sasori and Orochimaru were able to dispatch some of my modified Hollows with relative ease, which would be the death of many normal Shinigami. Sasori did not demonstrate his entire strength, so I would consider him in the 5th seat area. Orochimaru showed me two separate abilities. He seemed to be able to turn his body into mud, and create a swamp out of earth, and then re-solidify said swamp, trapping any enemies beneath it. This is of course, only estimated, but he would be around 3rd seat material. I'm sure they are quite capable of reaching fuku-taicho level, and even some of them Taicho level."

The old Shinigami furrowed his brow, while processing this information. "Are you sure that this information is correct, Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"Hai, I am 87 percent sure that this information is correct."

"Hmm… So most of them are complacent, and the others are either occupied or reclusive." He lifted his head and addressed the captains. "In the next week, try your best to learn about each of your charges. This includes your Kenpachi." He got a grunt in return. "Captain Soifon."

"Hai?"

"What have your troops say about the new world and its spiritual inhabitants?"

"The squads that are in the new world are facing heavy resistance. The remaining groups of sprits have banded together in larger groups. They have made it clear that they will not comply with our demands. But the strange part is that no matter what we try, we are outsmarted at every turn. Whoever is leading them has an amazing tactical mind, or an amazing sense of luck. Either way, we won't have any of the joining us anytime soon, not until we devote a specific operation to retrieving them. But with Kuchiki Rukia's execution in a month, it will have to wait until then."

"I see. Very well then. You all know your orders, dismissed." They bowed and filed out of the room. Zabuza went to deliver the information to the rest of the captains, and the six captains who did attend left to their respective divisions. But if any of them were to look outside the large balcony and up at the outside wall above it, they would see a strange creature. It appeared as a green plant swallowing a man. This man had greenish tinted hair, and his body was divided in half by two colors: black and white. It retreated _into_ the wall, phasing out of the room. If you continued watching you would see it exit the building at the base of the building outside the walls. "So it looks like that Shikamaru kid must be running the show back there."

"**Who else? He's the only one with a mind capable of defeating their strategies.**" The man appeared to have split personalities, one for each side of his body. "Either way, Pain is going to want this information."

"**Good thing we recorded it.**"

"Yeah. After all, that's one reason why he favors us. 'Course that's not the only reason, but one of them."

"**Any way, let's go. I can't guarantee that we'll stay undetected for long. Their senses are sharp. **"

"Right." The man then melted into the ground, disappearing from sight, heading toward his target just as Zabuza was, both of them, racing to deliver the same message. Lines connect, and get tangled. Things become more complicated by the minute.

**土遁・黄泉沼**_**Doton: Yomi Numa = Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld.**_

**A/N: "Well there it is. Imtrying my best to get to the part with Rukia's execution and th conflicts between the Ryoka and SS, so if things seem rushed, thats why. I AM trying not to make it seem rushed though. SO yeah. HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!"**

**"Read and REVIEW DANG IT!!!" **

**"...Pleeeass?"**


	6. Chapter 6: New Arivals

**A/N: "Well, here's chapter six of my story. Its all adding together, soon the **_**real**_** action will take place. But this, as well as the next chapter will be the culmination of all of my work so far. It will also begin the Soul Society arc, the part where Ichigo and co. bust in BE READY!!! If your a Naru/Hina fan, you'll like the next chap as well as this one. But I won't spoil anything."**

**"...What? No! I'm not gonna... They already know! Geez, fine... I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH! THEY ARE THE PROPERTIES OF MASASHI KISHIMOTO AND TITE KUBO RESPECTIVELY!!!!"  
"There, happy?"**

**"Read and Review!!"**

* * *

_**Chapter Six:**_

**_New Arrivals_**

Soifon was at the Senkai gate, again. It was open and she was awaiting the return of some troops that had been injured. She had been informed that the casualty rate had been high on preliminary skirmishes with the New Souls. That's what they called them now, New Souls from the New World. Finally out of the gate trudged a solemn procession of wounded Shinigami. The fourth division had been requested to be present at the gate to transport any wounded to the fourth's barracks. She hadn't expected this.

Many men and women were being supported by their comrades. As she watched them walk from the gate, she was able to see specifically the injuries dealt to them. Many of them had stab wounds, burns, missing limbs, and gashes. Those that weren't hurt clearly held a relieved expression on their faces, and those that didn't seemed traumatized. Some of the wounded had limbs that appeared to have been _eaten_ by… something.

Others had been crushed beyond repair, but those seemed rather fresh. For some reason, she became angry. Perhaps it was because she felt shammed that the forces of Soul Society couldn't defeat a small group of comparatively green… _shinobi. _Sure, she knew she had no idea what abilities they sported in that world, and she wasn't there personally to direct the forces, but she still felt responsible. Upon spotting a wounded Shinigami, she walked briskly over to him as he was examined by some Fourth division medics.

She watched as the medics probed the man's body for any other internal injuries. He had a large bruise directly on the center of his chest, as if he had been his repeatedly there in relatively the same spot. She walked around the other injured and as she did she spied something she hadn't expected, something that didn't belong. Actually, three something's.

One was a mid to late teen red head girl with black bootie-shorts and a type of waist-low trench coat. It was tan and it separated a few inches above her navel. She had matching red eyes. The second had a type of cloak on; beneath he had a simple white shirt and pants. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He was huge, equally as tall as Zaraki was. He seemed to be unconscious at this point. The third was actually a container, full of clear blue water. Quickly pacing over to them, she could hear the girl screaming at the container while being restrained by three men.

"Suigetsu!! Kuso! Suigetsu! Can you hear me? Wake up!!" Soifon glanced at the container and then back at the woman.

She asked one of the men handling the container, "What's the meaning of this?"

She pointed to the capsule of liquid; the man seemed dazed and simply answered, "You don't want to know. It took us forever to get this guy."

She looked again at the tube. "You mean that's a person?"

"Hai. He was made completely out of water." As soon as he finished Soifon was shaken from her stupor by the girl's screaming again. "Suigetsu!! WAKE UP!! Please wake up!!"

"You're too noisy. Someone shut her up." Soifon commanded. She looked back at the tall man while the girl was being gagged. He seemed to stir and then open an eye. Soifon was ready for anything, just in case he wanted to fight. He glanced at the girl then back at the tube, and bowed his head again, obviously not motivated to do anything. That or he knew he couldn't do anything, or simply blacked out again. Suddenly a crackling noise was heard, like one of those human's tazer guns. A bright flash erupted from beside her.

She found that Sasuke boy standing next to the container, his hand dancing with energy. "What are you doing?" She asked. "You know, you aren't too smart, Shinigami. You need to do your research before you go capturing others of us. Especially since these three are my team."

Soifon narrowed her eyes at him. She was NOT one to be dictated to, and by a boy no less. But then, he was older than he looked, wasn't he? Still, it didn't seem right. "They are prisoners as of now."

"What exactly do you intend to do with them?"

"Sedate them and then lock them up. Then they will be tried for hostile actions against the Thirteen Court Guards." Soifon didn't know anything about these souls, and frankly, she found them quite uninteresting. But this was her way of hitting Sasuke's nerves. Well, she succeeded.

"Wrong answer, Shinigami." Before she could respond to his statement he placed his hand against the glass tube. The electricity coursed through it. Suddenly the glass shattered into thousands of tiny pieces and the water flowed onto the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Soifon yelled. Sasuke only replied with a smirk and nostalgically stated, "Déjà vu. This is the second time I've had to free you Suigetsu." Soifon charged at Sasuke and threw a punch at him. He deftly evaded by simply tilting his head. Her fist passed his head; he grabbed it and spun intending on throwing her whole body onto the ground of shattered glass. Before she could land she twisted in his grasp and landed on her feet. Sasuke smirked and leaped back.

"No such luck I see." Soifon had had enough of this… brat. "All Shinigami forces, arrest him."

The Shinigami, at least the ones that could still fight, closed in on Sasuke as well as some now unhidden Special Forces troops. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and unsheathed his sword. "Weaklings such as this can't even touch me."

Amidst the ruckus one could barely hear the words spoken from seemingly nowhere.

"_K-kar-in…_"

Suddenly Soifon felt a large surge of malice and hatred. But this was not enforced by either reiatsu, not that energy called chakra. This was pure emotion. She twisted her head to see the water moving, slowly rising until the top half of a dome was seen. As it continued to rise, a face became visible. At this point the water had risen and formed the top half of a torso. The figure seen had smooth, light-aqua blue hair and fair skin. His eyes were half way opened, and they showed the same color as his hair, except a bit darker. They weaved back and forth from his surroundings and then the focus on the red haired girl, and her captors.

"Hey you. Yeah, you two with the girl. You have ten seconds to let her go." The men didn't budge as the body continued to rise from the water. At this point his torso was finished forming. He wore no cloths, which was understandable since he was made of water, but as soon as he finished his shins he began counting.

"One… two… TEN!!"

The water surrounding the youth surged upwards and then down crushing the men, but not the girl.

"S-suigetsu!" The girl screamed, though muffled from the gag.

The youth was no longer standing where he had formed but seemed to appear within the water. The water seemed to wrap around her body, enveloping her.

A hand formed from the water and removed the gag from her mouth. "You alright Karin? Don't worry, they're gonna pay."

Soifon drew her blade. This was getting out of hand.

Karin was dazed. She glanced from the water again forming into the person that was Suigetsu to the now embattled young Uchiha, and then to the unconscious giant beside her. She knew she couldn't stop Suigetsu, not once he was set to something, and he was determined to kill someone.

To think that they once hated each other…

Now things were quite the opposite, and surprisingly, Suigetsu turned out to be quite protective. All she could say was, "Be careful."

Suigetsu nodded. His mouth then split into a malicious grin. His teeth were like a shark's, jagged, sharp, and frightening. "Man, if only I had my sword, I could chop you all in half. Meh, I'll have to do without then." Suigetsu brought his hands together flashed through a series of seals.

Soifon knew that those hand-seals were prerequisites for techniques, much like incantations, except the speed that the seals could be preformed differentiated per user. Glancing from Sasuke to the water boy, (no pun intended, Suigetsu is in no way a water boy :P) she decided that since Sasuke was occupied with some of the guards, she should work on Suigetsu.

Thankfully she already knew what strings to pull. She Shunpo-ed behind the red head and held her Zanpakutō to her throat. "Perform that technique and she dies. And don't try to bluff your way out of this; I know she's precious to you."

Suigetsu lost his smile. His eyes narrows and his mouth turned down in a feral snarl. "Injure her and I'll chop your limbs off one by one. First you're arms, then your legs. Then last of all, your head will role from your body before you even know what happened."

Soifon didn't flinch. Suddenly, a finger was pressed to her head. She slowly turned her head to see the exact same boy standing behind her. "By threatening her, you just signed your death certificate. You don't seem to realize how angry I am, bitch! Drop the knife and walk away, before I cut you up like a barrel of sushi!"

Suigetsu wasn't playing, but neither was she. "**Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzemebachi.**" Suigetsu watched as her sword turned into a type of combat glove. The middle finger of the glove indeed in a long, sharp needle. She shunpo'd again stabbing the blue haired teen in the chest twice.

"My Zanpakutō has a special ability. 'Death in two steps.' You get hit in the same spot twice, you're done for. Give up." Suigetsu shook his head. "Learn your place bitch!"

He then splashed into water and the other clone that had been about to perform a jutsu turned and pointed his index finger at the captain. His thumb was cocked back like a gun, and he held his wrist with his other hand.

'_**Suiton: Teppōdama no Jutsu!**__'_

From his finger shot a thin bullet of manipulated water. Soifon barely dodged and preformed her 'death in two steps' move on the boy. "You're weak."

"And you're arrogant." Sasuke retorted from beside her.

Soifon's eyes widened as she realized the implications that this brought. "You… defeated them all?" She quickly looked back at the Shinigami she had set loose on him. Each one of them had some sort of slash or bruise on their body.

"You don't seem to realize, Soifon, that almost all of us are of, as you define, captain level. Normal Shinigami troops were able to capture Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo, because they don't know how to use Reiatsu, instead they use chakra. Chakra is about four times weaker than Reiatsu, and ten times less plentiful. Were they to learn how to use it, that would have been a different story."

Soifon lowered her weapon and glared at the man. "But that also means that you don't know how to use it. In which case, I wonder how you were still able to defeat them so easily."

"It's actually quite simple. I was able to do the same with most enemies in my world. They were nothing new. But to be perfectly honest, I know how to mold and use reiatsu. So do most of us. These three are the only ones who don't. And don't ask me how we learned to so quickly."

Sasuke's eyes were cold and emotionless. "Oi, Suigetsu, if you're going to live up to your threat you're going to need to come with me. Karin, this includes you and Juugo." Without another word he sheathed his sword and walked over to where Karin had fallen from exhaustion. The water rose up again and Suigetsu formed his body. "Damn. And I was really going to kill you too. That stab hurt, but what you're in for will hurt even worse."

"Suigetsu, I said stop. Don't worry you'll have your chance, later."

Suigetsu growled but obeyed his old team leader. He went over and picked up Juugo. Soifon noticed how the young man's arms seemed to increase in mass as they picked up Juugo. "Oh, Sasuke, can I get some cloths too? I'm not going to walk around this place ass-naked."

Sasuke nodded and used his wireless radio to call for Zetsu. Recently they had been given them so that they might keep in touch with their own kind easier. It was the same in both worlds so they had no trouble adapting. Suigetsu looked back at the captain and pointed his finger at her.

Thinking he was going to attack her again, she got ready to Shunpo again and kill the boy. This time, she knew it was the real one. Seeing her react seemed to entertain the water master. "Don't forget what I said, little shit. For even trying to hurt her I'm going to find a way to slice you up six different ways!" He turned back to Sasuke. "So where's Zetsu?"

"He'll meet us up ahead. You know how reclusive he is." Soon after they had walked away a Shinigami soldier warily approached the emotionally smoldering captain. "Are we just going to let them go?" Soifon sighed. "We don't really have a choice. If they really do know how to use reiatsu then they are most likely, as he said; fuku-taicho or taicho level. You saw what that Suigetsu brat was able to do with only that chakra energy."

The man seemed to contemplate the fact, but he shook his head, "But taicho, we should at least arrest them for this!"

Soifon hit the man upside the head, causing him for face plant to the ground from the force. "I told you we can't! If what he says is true, then we have about two dozen captains in the same city as us. If they were to consider us hostile, they would be able to cause a lot of damage. I'm sure we could pull through, but many lives would be lost."

The man seemed dispirited when he heard this. He merely looked down and slowly sank into despair.

"MAN! I can't believe that teme! So bossy. Kind of like how you used to be Karin."

This earned Suigetsu a smash to the face, causing it to splash over the ground. "Don't make me regret letting you save me Suigetsu." Suigetsu knew she didn't mean it. As if to confirm that she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

As if that were the reason, his face seemed to reform faster. He nudged her and held her hand as they walked. Oddly enough, the red head didn't seem to be affected by her blue haired lover's nude form. Sasuke assumed it was because she'd seen it so often.

But then that brought to his mind things he didn't really need to have on his mind.

Ever.

Juugo was heavier than he looked, and Suigetsu didn't like having to carry him, but he was the only one who could do it by himself. However Juugo, was about to wake up. His eyes fluttered open to an unpleasant sight. To conserve energy, Suigetsu had him draped over his shoulder. This of course meant that his face was only about half a foot from Suigetsu's back-side. "What the hell?!"

"Oh look Sasuke, he's awake." Suigetsu had had this issue of having no cloths due to liquid reformation so often he had become fairly comfortable with nothing on, but not too comfortable.

Juugo had not. "Let me off! Suigetsu, dang it! This aint right!"

"Huh? Oh sorry." Suigetsu dropped him, quite abruptly. Falling with a hard "Oomph!" he got up and took a few steps back from his unclothed partner, and held his head. He felt like he was spinning. After an explanation of recent events Sasuke caught the three up on what was happening. Once they had finished catching up, Zetsu emerged from a nearby wall. "Oh, it's you three."

"**We brought some cloths and three injections. Sasuke will inform you on what they're for."**

"The Shinigami don't know I'm here in Seireitei. Every time they activate the Senkai gate we try and get through to the others."

**"Don't worry Sasuke, we've been keeping your wife updated on your status."**

"That reminds me; she wanted me to tell you that she's doing fine. She also wants to ask if she should turn herself into the Shinigami so you can be with her."

Sasuke sighed in relief. At least she was safe. "Actually, if possible Zetsu, I want you to try and bring her here undetected."

Suigetsu scratched the back of his head. "But if they found out she was here and never had any record of her arrival, they would become paranoid and watch us like a hawk."

Sasuke nodded. "Exactly. If they continuously watch those of us they know are here, that leaves those of us who they don't know are here, like Zetsu more room to maneuver."

Juugo understood. "Like tunnel vision."

"**So ka."**

"All right then. I'll bring her here if I can."

"Thanks Zetsu. I owe you one." Sasuke said.

"**Actually that's three, but who's counting?"** Sasuke smirked and nodded, and Zetsu melted away. He turned and saw that Suigetsu was sticking his shirt on. A realization dawned on Sasuke. When you have your pants off, people don't notice how muscular your torso is. But the reverse is also true.

Shaking off that little fact of life, he bid the others take the injections.

"So these will allow us to use reiatsu?" Karin asked Sasuke, who nodded. "Yeah. But it won't replace chakra. For some reason we can use both, though chakra is less efficient. From now on chakra will be your back up energy once you use up your reiatsu." Juugo and Karin nodded and stabbed themselves in the arms.

Suigetsu looked at his questioningly. "Um, Sasuke? I think we forgot something. I can't use this. I have no blood."

Sasuke informed him, "It doesn't matter. It's a type of chemical that mixes with anything, including water."

Suigetsu opened his mouth to silently mouth the word "Oh…"

"Oh, by the way Suigetsu, how do you feel?"

The water boy looked puzzled as he took the needle and plunged it into his arm. "Huh? What do you mean? I'm fine." Sasuke spoke in a knowing way. "I know that the one who shot at her was really you. She must have thought it was a clone, but I know better. She said, 'Death in two Steps.' I saw with my Sharingan. She in fact stabbed you twice, both times in the same spot. It seemed legit and accurate to what she said, but you're still alive. So I'm wondering what if she was bluffing."

Suigetsu put his hand to his chin. Suddenly, like a light his face lit up. "Oh! You mean this crap."

He cupped his right hand and a purple-ish liquid seeped from his palm. "It's a liquid. She injected it into me when she stabbed me. I'm guessing it's a type of poison that is shot into the opponent's body when she stabs them. I don't know why she needs to do it twice, but it must be significant."

Sasuke took Suigetsu's vile and instructed him to pour the liquid into the now empty container. "I'll have Orochimaru find out an antidote for it. Or my wife, if Zetsu can get her here."

Suigetsu nodded in understanding. "So if we do find an antidote, that will be one crazy bitch's technique down the drain." Suigetsu laughed a bit at his own joke, then turned serious when Sasuke shook his head.

"No Sui, it's much more than that. She was a captain. That was her sword's Shikai. Each captain has two sword levels; Shikai and Bankai. Bankai is much stronger, but it's basically their trump card. They mainly use Shikai, so if we counteract this, that will render her unable to perform her '**Death in two Steps**'. Of course, it will still hurt to be stabbed, but at least we won't die."

"Ahh, I see now." Suigetsu exclaimed. "So where to now?"

"Were going to the 11th division barracks. Zabuza-san is there. He'll be surprised to see you." Suigetsu's eyes widened. "Sensei? He's here?!" Sasuke nodded. "He is. So is his apprentice, Haku."

Suigetsu cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, you didn't know. He had a partner before he died. He's with Zabuza now. I wonder what you'll think of him."

Suigetsu shrugged. Karin was drinking all of this in as best she could. "Well, if Suigetsu is going then I'm going." Sasuke shook his head. "You can go, but you three aren't _staying_ at the 11th division. Trust me. They are the combat specialist division for the Thirteen Court Guards. I would suggest either the 7th or 8th division, or even the 5th. Aizen-taicho is actually a very nice person, all things considered."

Suigetsu sighed. "So many choices… How many others are there?"

"If you mean divisions, there are a total of thirteen. If you mean people from our world, there are about 2 dozen, give or take a few." Sasuke explained.

Juugo piped up. "Can I stay with you Sasuke? I don't want to end up rampaging and no one be able to control me."

Sasuke nodded. "Then you'll be with me in the 13th division. Ukitake taicho is a much more pleasant fellow than most of the others. With the exception of Komamura of the 7th, Kyoraku Shunsui of the 8th, and the aforementioned 13th captain, they are basically all unique, and most of the time not in a good way. The one you were fighting was the 2nd division captain, Soifon."

Suigetsu smiled. "So that was a captain, huh? Not too special if you ask me."

Sasuke sighed. "She wasn't even serious Suigetsu. Among all of us, you are probably her antithesis. Even more so than me, simply because her Shikai has no affect on you. But still, her taijutsu is much better than yours. She is a martial arts master; you're more of a brawler."

Suigetsu grunted in amusement. He had full confidence in his own abilities, no matter who he was fighting. Karin had always admired that attitude, but sometimes she found it annoying too.

Sasuke continued, "Well, I suppose we had better introduce you guys to the captains. If we don't, Soifon might try and arrest you again. Suigetsu Karin, I would suggest you two stay with fourth division captain, Unohana Retsu. Just try and not make a mess of things."

Karin nodded, and Suigetsu huffed out a "Yeah, yeah."

Naruto on the other hand was strolling about the Seireitei tower when he saw someone he was indeed glad to see.

"Nagato!" The man in question turned around, his spiked orange hair swaying in the wind. The man sighed. "Naruto, I told you to refer to this body, and my other bodies by their respective names. At least in public."

Somehow, Nagato had found a way to get a new Deva Path. Naruto noticed that there were stitches around the body. Probably in an effort to make the body appear more like Yahiko. Even in death Nagato held him in great respect. Of the six different bodies, or "Paths" Pain controlled, Yahiko was always used as Pain's primary way of communicating with others.

"Right right, sorry. So when did you get in to Seireitei?" Naruto asked his friend. Deva Path smiled and motioned Naruto the walk with him.

"Just the other day. I didn't want to make a big deal of it so I just used a **henge** and came in as a normal Kusagakure shinobi. It wasn't a big deal so they didn't announce it. So how are you and Hinata holding up? You know, with all this commotion…"

Naruto nodded in understanding. "We're doing fine. To be honest, this has kinda brought us together a little more, since we really only have each other."

Deva looked at him for a moment and quirked an eyebrow. "You made love didn't you?" Naruto's face went bright pink and he looked accusingly at the orange hair.

"T-that's beside the point! Besides you have no room to talk! You and Konan are getting it on every time you're alone!"

Deva smiled at his friend, but showed no embarrassment at the comment. Nagato, his real self, however, had a slight pink tint on his cheeks as he basked in the sun atop a high building elsewhere in Seireitei.

"Heheh. Konan and I are in a slow romantic relationship. We didn't start out as fiery as you and your wife did."

Naruto, instead of being embarrassed, looked up to the sky and smiled. "Hehe, yeah… That brings back memories…"

Pain nodded. They walked together in silence until they reached a certain spot.

Both of them stopped and gazed at the high white tower piercing the sky. "I believe this place is called the Shrine of Penitence. It is where they keep prisoners awaiting trial, or execution."

Naruto didn't answer his friend, but walked across the large bridge that spanned the gorge below. Pain followed him, curious as to his actions.

Rukia gazed out of the small slit that constituted as a window in the Shrine. It's all she had to do. Ever since she was placed in this jail, she was given food, but that was about it. She had nothing to do but gather her thoughts and make resolutions as to her punishment. Her Execution had been bumped up to this month. But she had less trouble convincing herself she was ready to die than that she had no connections to the human world. Seireitei was a vast place, and the Shrine could see it all. Were it not for the circumstances of her being there, she would have found it an enjoyable place; aside from the stone floor and lack of bedding.

But a she peered into the clear afternoon sky; a flicker of movement distracted her from her thoughts. Below her, on the bridge leading to the entrance of the Shrine itself, strode two odd figures. Neither were Shinigami, at least not as far as she could tell; one had blond spiked hair, a black jumpsuit with orange stripes running through it, much like and inverse tiger design. He wore black sandal type shoes. His facial features were hidden to her by a shadow covering his face. That shadow was cast by a tall man with rather orange hair. He wore a black kimono type cloak with red spots scattered here and there, which upon closer inspection she found to resemble clouds. His feel wore similar shoes but with longer shin coverings and they were grey.

The most striking feature of this character was his face full of piercings; six piercings and a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of his upper nose and one spike stud on each end of his bottom lip. Three piercings under each other in each wrist, at least one on his upper wrist and some just under his neck. He also wore a beaded necklace. He wore a head band with a metal plate with four vertical lines on it and one long horizontal line crossing through all of them. He gave of a powerful aura; even buried deep within the Sekiseki walls that surrounded her, she could feel it.

She had never seen such individuals before, not even in the human world. They approached the guards that the base of the tower. She could only catch glimpses of their conversation, mostly dealing with the tower itself and its contents. A few minutes into the conversation the blond haired teen looked up. She could clearly see his face now, and it appeared he had three whisker marks on each of his cheeks. He had light blue eyes and clean cut features. He could clearly see her from his position and he smiled at her. His grin spread from ear to ear. She found it amusing that such a person would find her worthy of smiling at. Surely he knew what she had done, and if that was the case, he should have treated her like any other criminal in Soul Society.

He then looked back down at the guards, who suddenly started getting frisky. They pointed their staff-poles at him, warning him to leave or he would be killed. After a moment of hesitation both figures turned and began walking away. The blond boy however, as he was walking away raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

A sudden flash was seen, but from Rukia's viewpoint, nothing happened. When the two figures continued their retreat to the end of the bridge and beyond her sight, she looked back down at the guards. She was shocked.

Both of their staff-poles has been sliced into segments leaving only about two feet of them intact. Both of them were frozen, she assumed in fear. She seemed shocked at the two figures that had by now disappeared from sight. Not only were they not Shinigami, but they casually confronted guards that would otherwise have killed them on the spot.

As she wondered as to their identity she could barely see in the distance two small shadows vanishing and reappearing on top of building roofs, slowly becoming smaller and smaller until, for the second time, they disappeared from her sight. She would ask the next shift of guards who they were.

If she asked the current guards, they would most likely ignore her.

Naruto chuckled as he lay alone with Hinata on the Sōkyoku hill. More precisely, the Sōkyoku execution stands. They were up against the right corner snuggling together. The fact that the stands were used for executions didn't seem to bother them though, and the found the scene beautiful. While Hinata lay in his arms, his mind drifted off to far away confrontations and events that had occurred in his life; all revolving around his and Hinata's love.

* * *

_**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu - (**_**Water Clone Technique**_**)**_

_**Suiton: Teppōdama no Jutsu - (**_**Water Release: Bullet Technique**_**)**_

**A/N: "Well thats chapter six. Just so you know, Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin will be one of the lest few i will be bringing into this story untill the conclusion of the SS arc. I was seriousely contemplating on **_**not**_** bringing them in, but i needed more love material. (Namely Suigetsu and Karin) I cant just focus on naruto and Hinata. Besides i find them an entertaining bunch to work with. Oh and a smal spoiler for the next chapter. (MAJOR NARU/HINA!!) Do you know what it is yet? Oh, that's ok take your time..."**

**"Any way, to those of you who may feel that the Shinigami are being under powered, thats because i have purposefully placed Naruto characters against the Shingami most likely to lose to them. Those pairings will change, and dont worry, bleach characters will own certain naruto characters. Just give it some time. Anyway, if you like it Read and Review! I say again; REEEAAADDD AND REVIIIIEEEEWW!!! Seriousely, i need more reviews."**

**"Oh and one last note, some of you guys dont like the idea that Hinata is in here (Check reviews for the name[im too lazy to check]) and i just want to say shes only shy around Naruto. I made a mistake about her personality earlier and I am trying to remedy that. Also, NO CRACK PAIRINGS!! I wil do my best to pair everyone up with whom they most likely would fal in love with. Such as Sui/Kar. If you think about it, it makes sense. So far its:**

**1. Naru/Hina**

**2. Sui/Kar**

**3. Sasu/Saku**

**Thats it so far. If you have any comments of questions, please feel free to ask them. Also some of you might recognize my writing skills are similer and/or refering to Le loup de Kaiser('s). He is my inspiration to my works and I refer you to his story **_**"Naruto: Death's Second Chance" **_**for reference to some of my ideas. Trust me, it will make things a whole bunch easier. Any way, 'till next time. **

**Ja ne."**


	7. Chapter 7: Shakin' Break In!

**A/N: "Well, it took me a few days to do this, but it was worth it. I am very sorry to say that I did not put in the flash back of Naruto and Hinata getting together. I'm going to wait untill they actually get there in the manga which will most likely be a few months. Instead, as a poor substitution, I made this one partially a Sui/Kar. Be advised, there IS A LEMON in here!! THIS THING IS RATED "M" FOR REASON!!!"**

**"Eh, anyways. I do so enjoy writing this story. Its just I never have the motivation to do so. Gatta fix that, dont I? I sometimes get carried away with the length, but I think that just makes you guys happier, since it give you more to read with a chapter. Well, I dont think i have any other announcements as of right now, so without further ado I give you:... "**

**"CHAPTER SEVEN: SHAKIN' BREAK IN!!" **

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**_Chapter Seven:_**_  
**Shakin' Brake In**_

Suigetsu walked with Karin around the edge of Seireitei, taking in the sights and interacting with the local Shinigami troops, some of which Suigetsu found were quite nice, despite his first encounter with the Second Division's captain. Suigetsu was a kid at heart, and he liked having fun, like Naruto (whom he had grown attached to over the course of their spiritual lives). Unfortunately his idea of fun had been twisted and warped by Kirigakure's harsh environment and upbringing. However, even Kiri couldn't take away the simple joys one felt from doing even the simplest things. Watching the birds, playing with animals, walking with the person you loved…

Yeah, these were things Suigetsu enjoyed; the latter being the most enjoyable. "I should have guessed you had my sword sealed in a scroll. Heh, I didn't think you cared about it, considering how you always hated how I took breaks every five minutes."

Karin chuckled. "Well I knew how much you loved it. Besides, if we were ever going to try and get out of wherever they were taking us, you'd need the dang thing." Suigetsu closed his eyes and grinned. Yeah, they loved each other. You might not be able to tell sometimes, but they loved each other. The giant sword of Suigetsu's life-time sensei was strapped to his back. Frankly, the reiatsu injections he had taken had really come in handy. He didn't grow tired as much as he usually did when carrying the huge cleaver, nor did swinging it take so much effort. (It hardly took much before the injection, but now even more so.) They finally found a restaurant of sorts and entered. It seemed more like a bar, but just cuz they were teens in appearance, didn't mean they couldn't hold their ale. (Or sake in this case)

Finding seat, they sat down, though Suigetsu had to untie his blade and lean it against the wall. Since it was usually latched behind him, no one really noticed it unless he turned around, but as it rested on the wall, it looked all that more intimidating. Soon though, they were attended by a waitress. After ordering they sat there, enjoying each other's company. As they sat, hands linked together, they gathered some odd stares from some of the Shinigami, though they seemed to be directed at Suigetsu, or more precisely, at the sword beside him. Finally one of the Shinigami came forward out of curiosity. He was bald, and had two red lines extending slightly from the sides of his eyes. He didn't wear any socks with his shoes, and carried his zanpakutō over his shoulders, resting his arms over it. "Oi, your one of those New Souls right?" Their kind had acquired no original names while they stayed in SS, but there were many of them (names for them) despite the fact; New Guys, New Souls, New World Souls… Each name seemed to have the word "new" in it which made some of them feel special, in a way.

They both nodded. "Yeah, I'm Suigetsu and she's Karin. Hey you mind telling me why everyone keeps staring at me? Is that like some sort of custom around here?" He placed his hand on his neck and rubbed, laughing slightly, indicating for the Shinigami to take it lightly, which he did. "Heheh, actually that's why I'm here. I drew the short straw… no offence. But some of us were curious; why does your sword look like Momochi Zabuza-dono's?"

Suigetsu's eyes widened only slightly. "Well, probably because when Zabuza-sensei was alive, this was the sword that he used. As a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, their weapons are heirlooms to being in that group. So when I went to his grave, I took it. How did you know he used it?"

The man seemed to take all this in very well. "Well that's odd. If that's so then Zabuza-dono's shikai is… huh…" Sui's right eye brow rose quizzically. "…is what?" The man seemed to think for a moment. "You know much about zanpakutō yet?" Karin shrugged. "Only a little. They represent our inner selves; they have two levels… stuff like that." The Shinigami nodded. "Yeah… I don't know if you know this or not, but Momochi-san's zanpakutō looks exactly like that when released." The waitress came back with their food, temporarily causing the conversation to pause. When she had left Suigetsu simply shrugged. "Well he had it made specifically for him when he joined the Seven Swordsmen. There might be a reason for that." The man seemed to accept this and thanked them and walked back to his table, where other Shinigami were looking at him expectantly. "Oh by the way, my name's Madarame Ikkaku. I guess I'll see you guys around." Suigetsu smiled and nodded. "Yeah, definitely." Karin waved a goodbye at him. After that they settled down to eat their food in peace, while Ikkaku shared the new information with his fellow officers.

After they had eaten, Suigetsu paid and stood. Strapping his sword back on was proving difficult, a task which grabbed the attention of everyone in the restaurant. After watching him fail at it a few times she sighed and smiled. "You're hopeless. Here, let me help." She held the sword up while he strapped the dang thing on. "There we go, that's better. Thanks." She smiled and leaned over his shoulder pushing him out the door. As they walked out, they realized it was dark; no sun, just stars and that seemingly permanent partial eclipse. "Well, that was another eventful day in Soul Society. Looks like it's around nine 'o clock, what do you want to do now?"

She replied oddly; closing her eyes, smiling, shrugging and skipping a little bit ahead of him. His eyebrow raised and he followed her back to their room in the Fourth Division. After bidding some passer-by's good night, he walked in followed by Karin who closed and locked the door shut. She turned around as soon as he unbuckled the blade and rested it on a stand. One might call it a modified guitar stand. He sighed as he plopped down on the bed and sprawled out, stretching over the whole bed. Karin chuckled at his child-like behavior. "Hoooo, I'm bored now." He sighed and looked at the ceiling fan, watching it spin above him. It was then Karin got an idea. She grinned mischievously and removed her glasses, setting them on the dresser. Suigetsu was blind to her approach though as his eyes were blankly staring at the fan blades, following one and tracking its endless path. He barely recognized the depression her body made as she leaned on the bed.

_'Of course she would want to snuggle.'_ He thought. Sure enough she slid right beside him and rested her arm over his chest. He grinned slightly, the left side of his mouth curving upwards. She began lightly rubbing his chest. Another thing Suigetsu was like; he was like an animal. He always loved it when his belly was rubbed, but only as long as it was only Karin. If someone else did it, they'd be missing a few limbs in a very short amount of time. She moved downward to his stomach increasing her pressure. He laughed slightly as she tickled him. "H-he-hey, stop that." He closed his eyes and chuckled as she did just the opposite.

When she had had her fun he stopped laughing and turned his head to look at her, his smile remaining. He reached out and brushed some red hair out of her red eyes. "You beautiful." She blushed slightly at the sudden remark. He chuckled at her reaction. "Haha, I love it when you blush. You look so cute." She blushed even more as he laughed. He loved teasing her on that, though she didn't mind it, but she usually got back at him. It was then she got a vengeful idea for doing that very thing. While his eyes were closed in laughter she slid her hand down farther… Now it was his turn to blush as he stopped laughing instantly. His gaze fixated on the fan again, while his mind attempted to sort through the sensations he was feeling. She giggled and leaned in to his ear and whispered, "So do you."

He blushed even more and gave her a sideways glance. He knew she was right. He was extremely sensitive. While pain was non-existent with his body, due to the fact that he was made out of water, nerves still existed. Karin had found that, weather due to Orochimaru's experimentations, her own testing on Suigetsu (in life of course, back when she worked under the Sannin), or a natural occurrence; his feeling nerves were very, very sensitive. She increased pressure there and she heard him moan slightly, his eyes rolling up. Oh yeah, she knew just what buttons to push for her Suigetsu. Then, gently she began to rub up and down. With his limbs already spread out, she had full access to his body. His breath became ragged and uneven. She smiled as his vision swam. "You like that, don't you?"

He couldn't answer, but he knew he had to, or else she would practically cause him to have a seizure from anticipation and pleasure. He was barely able to moan out a "Uuuh-h-hu-hhh…" Fortunately for him, she was able to understand that that was the equivalent of a "yes" under these circumstances. As soon as he said it though, she began working her way underneath his shinobi-sweats. His body wouldn't voluntarily move. It took everything he had not to crash right there. With a little effort, she was able to work his member out of its confinement and started working up and down on him. But the thing was about Suigetsu, even though the feelings were enhanced by a ton, the body responded as if the feelings were normal. In other words, no matter how good it felt, he had to be brought on at the same pace as a normal person. He also had a massive endurance rate. All the better for both of them.

His eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned, deep and long. After a moment of that, Karin smiled again. Not that he could see it. His head was frozen in place, staring up at the ceiling. His senses were overwhelmed with pleasure, so much so he didn't feel the change in weight on the bed as Karin shifter her position. All he could tell was that she was doing an amazing job, to say the VERY least. But then she did one better. His head twitched in reflex as he yelped. Not in pain but ecstasy as his hard member was engulfed in her mouth. His body was hot; he couldn't stand the heat much longer.

If he had much more he'd pass out before the end. Realizing this as if it were a sixth sense, Karin quickly got up and took a floor-fan and placed it next to the bed. Suigetsu breathed a sigh of relief as the cool air washed over him. He felt like he was in paradise. Karin also switched the ceiling fan's rotation so it blew down instead of sucking up. She had to keep Suigetsu cool. People made out of water don't sweat, they just heat up until they start to evaporate, which sometimes made the phrase "steamy-situation" become a literal interpretation. But it wouldn't do to have Suigetsu evaporate. She took off his shirt as she let her hand trail along his chest, feeling his temperature.

Finding it to be cooling due to the two fans around them she turned back to her job. Removing her own jacket, she was left in her thigh-high shinobi shoes, black latex booty-shorts, and a black lacy bra; him in his sweats and his own pair of shoes. Although, with his rising temp, he wouldn't be able to make it much longer with them on. However, most of the heat was in his torso, not his legs.

So she went back to work on him, his breath de-synchronizing again. He couldn't take much more of it. "U-un… If y-yu-you k-keep-p t-this up…" he threw his head back and moaned again. She smiled knowing exactly what she was doing. She licked above and below the head, being sure to get the soft underside the most attention. She even slightly dug her tongue into his own small hole. She moaned as well, sending vibrations down his length. That was the last straw for him.

His whole body tensed and spammed as he came. He cried out slightly as if in pain as he spurted into her. Karin swallowed it all expertly. When she had _finally_ sucked him dry (which is difficult since he's made of water, as he has large reserves of every fluid besides blood) she replaced his softening member and turned around to lie beside his spamming body. His eyes were shut tight, his mouth slightly open as his chest heaved, gasping for air. After about ten minutes of rest he finally opened his eyes. Slowly he turned his head over to her. His face devoid of any emotion, but filled with passion. He brought her face closer and brushed his lips over her own.

After doing this a few times, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. He cocked his head to allow better entrance as he pried her lips open with his tongue, her own fending his off as if in some fencing battle. The two organs danced and ran over each other for a few minutes before she eventually worked her way into his mouth. Despite the fact that his teeth were razor sharp, they never seemed to cut her. She had seen him rip open an enemy shinobi using only those razors in a few moves, but it was like he dulled them for her, or she was immune to them, if that was possible. But she enjoyed their texture.

It was different, and she loved it. She loved him. And he loved her back equally, if not more. They finally pulled apart almost forgetting to breath. She discarded her shoes and he pulled his own off as they turned off the lights and pulled up the sheets. Karin, surprisingly fell asleep before he did; her head resting on his shoulder. He smiled. He'd repay her for this sometime later. She was the kind who would patiently wait for her rewards. After getting him off, it didn't matter how much it seemed he wouldn't, she knew he would always do the same for her. Sometimes though, the mood would hit both of them at the same time, and that… That was paradise.

But for now, he inclined his head to rest on hers and he fell fast asleep, dreaming of his red head lover.

* * *

Nagato, his true body, sat atop a building on what seemed the top of the world. He loved it up here. The reiatsu enhancements did more than just give him power, they gave him his handsomeness back, so to speak. His body had finally filled his skeleton, unlike what he had been forced to live with when he was alive. He was now independent of that damned walker. But his back had piercings all over them. The still transmitted reiatsu to his Six Paths, but they weren't huge like they used to be. They were small, much like the ones on Chikushōdō's (Animal Path's) face. They were flat little cylinders that lined his spine and were placed in to more rows on each side. But all this was hidden beneath his shirt. It was black, and he wore a pair of grey, baggy, cargo pants and a simple pair of shinobi shoes. His blazing red hair, though red indeed, was silky smooth and covered half his face, not unlike Deidara's style, but shorter and thinner.

He sighed out loud at the naively tranquil Soul Society. He "hmph'ed" as he closed his eyes and raised his head to the sky, breathing in the cool air and letting the warm sun hit his face. He opened his eyes and let his Rinnegan examine the clouds. The grey color of his eyes might give others the idea he was blind, were it not for the rings that encircled the grayness. Like the Hyuuga, they may look blind, but that was the tragic irony. They could see better than any other. Everyone that his Six Paths looked at always stood back and let him pass, with fear in their eyes, and if it wasn't fear it was apprehension, or simple respect.

He knew his powers and gauged them against those of Soul Society. He was high captain class, if you could even call his class captain. His full strength surpassed them greatly, but he couldn't count on power alone; he needed intelligence, intellect, and cool headedness. He was currently waiting on Zetsu to report back on the architectural layout of the Central 46 building. He needed to familiarize himself with it. The Captains were in a meeting right now. They were discussing what happened earlier that day.

_Flashback no Jutsu!_

_Pain was still sitting atop that very same building. He had been cloud gazing, the only thing that he seemed to fine entertaining, if not-time passing, when his Rinnegan spied a sort of flash off in the distance. He could see reiatsu flow freely from a small square opening where white light seemed to shine. A minute or two later that square flashed and four streaks landed in the outskirts of Seireitei. Training his Kekkei Genkai on the area he was able to see only a little; reiatsu seemed to be concentrated in the area, four maybe five beings had landed. Of course, his other bodies were closer than this one and were able to get a better look at them, but he didn't have the Byakugan, so he couldn't zoom in on it. Fortunately, there were other members who could check it out instead of him. Sending a telepathic message to two of Akatsuki's members, he sat back and waited._

_Deidara downed his dango and washed it down with some sake. "Ahh, that was pretty good. H'n." He smiled and leaned back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head. But his peace was not to last. His eye twitched as he received his orders. "Oh for crying out loud…" He got up and paid for his food, reaching into a clay pouch and gobbling up a small handful into his hand mouths. Leaping onto the roof of a nearby wall caused others to gasp in surprise. They did so again, even more now, when he tossed his new art and it expanded in a puff of smoke. The bird resembled a hawk, but with broader wings and a full tail. Leaping onto the bird he adjusted his straw hat as the bird leaped into the air and he climbed high into the sky._

_"Stupid Leader, interrupting me relaxing time to do a job Zetsu can do." He grumbled practically the entire way to the wall, which seemed to have fallen from it hovering position and closed off Seireitei. He adjusted the lens on his left eye's monocular. Flipping through settings he stayed high in the air, examining what he could of the gate. It was then he noticed a haori wearing man on this side of the gate. It had the kanji for three on the back, and he had silver hair with a slight shade of purple thrown in. _'Isn't that Ichimaru Gin of the Third Division? What's he doing here? Must have something to do with those individuals on the other side of the gate.'

_He reached into his pockets to chomp on some more clay just in case. After a few rounds and some loud sounds coming from the other side of the gate, his eyes widened as a pair of hands reached under the gate and lifted._ '…Some strength.' _Finally the gate opened up completely to reveal a huge man, and by huge I mean enormous. Almost thirty feet tall and with bulk to match. He weighed in at around a ton. '_Remind me not to get into a fist fight with him.'_ He thought this to no one in particular. But the giant in question seemed to freeze as soon as he caught sight of Ichimaru's form._ 'Gah, I can't hear anything from up here. I don't suppose Leader will mind if I reveal myself. H'n.'_ With that his bird swooped down._

_"Who is this guy?" Ichigo wasn't exactly pleased to have run into another enemy right after he defeated the first one. Ikkanzaka Jidanbō, Gatekeeper of the West Gate of the Seireitei, answered in a timid voice. "T-Third Division Captain… Ichimaru… Gin." He was already sweating just from being near his "compatriot". Ichimaru's face didn't change. All he said was, "Hey now, dat aint right." Ichigo was startled as a blast of reiatsu blew past him, and before he knew what happened, Jidanbō's arm flew off behind them. Ichimaru again spoke in that gangster type dialect. "That's not good. It aint your job to open the gate." _

_Jidanbō screamed in pain as blood gushed rivers from his missing arm and armless shoulder. "W-what… the hell, did he do?" The gate began to rattle as it closed, but thankfully Jidanbō was able to support it with his remaining arm. Gin seemed to take pleasure in that. "You can still hold the door open with an arm missin'? No wonder your one o' the Elite's o' Soul Society. But, as a gatekeeper, you suck." _

_Yoruichi Shihōin in cat form approach Ichigo. _'Third Division captain, Ichimaru Gin. I was too careless… I would never have expected this. These kids may be strong, but the power of a captain is beyond their imaginations. If we fight him here, well be heading into the worst-case scenario.'_ Jidanbō seemed at a loss for words, but he tried to explain anyway. "B-because I lost… The gatekeeper is supposed to open the gate when he loses. It's the only thing to do."_

_Ichimaru frowned slightly as if in confusion. "What are you talkin' about? Ya' don't understand at all." He walked forward, toward the group of Ryoka. "When the gatekeeper loses, he's not supposed to open the gate. When the gatekeeper loses… that means he dies." Zangetsu and Shinsou clashed as their owners brought their blades together. Leaping back from the impact, both the aggressor and the defender slid on the tiled ground. Ichigo raised his zanpakutō over his head and pointed it at the offending captain. "What do you think you're doing you fox-faced punk?!"_

_"Don't get me started on fox-faced punks, h'n." Ichigo started at the voice. Looking around he didn't see anyone until he saw a large white bird float and land on the ground next to the captain. On it was a peculiar man. He wore a straw hat that covered his head, and a high-collard, black kimono with red splotch designs on it, reminiscent of clouds. The man sat down on the bird and lifted his hat up to reveal one eye looking at them. The other eye was hidden behind blond hair. "Oh, hey Ichimaru-san." The captain didn't seem near as miffed at the intrusion as Ichigo did. "Oh, hi ya… Deidara-kun, right?"_

_"Yeah, glad to know you remembered it, h'n. Most people just forget it after we meet, or they lose their memory of it in an explosion. Yeah." Ichimaru rubbed the back of his neck and replied in a sympathetic voice. "Ya definitely got a way with people." Ichigo's eye twitched. "OI!! Don't just stand there like I'm a hunk of meat! I'm condemning your actions dang it!" he replied rather comically. "Inoue, please look after Jidanbō." _

_The girl responded an affirmative. Yoruichi was actually putting her mind to good use. _'I've never seen this person before. He doesn't seem to be a Shinigami, but his reiatsu level is amazing. He appears to be familiar with him, so the possibility of Gin allowing him to join in a fight seems likely. He's not as much a threat as Gin, but he still seems dangerous. We have almost no chance, even without this Deidara fellow, and now we might have even less of one.'_ But despite her careful, thought out ideas floating around in her hand, Ichigo seemed to pursue a more justice related path._

_"Come on. If you're so eager for a fight, then I'll do it. For a no good villain like yourself to attack an unarmed person like nothing… I'll rip you apart!" Deidara pulled his hat off and shook his head to free his hair. "Who wants to fight who here? H'n. You should be afraid of us you know." _

_Ichigo looked dumbfounded. "No I shouldn't! There's nothing frightening about you, I mean I almost took you for a girl, and I probably would have, were it not for the fact that your voice was manly. And besides, that giant bird your riding on looks stupid, thers no way I could take it seriously." Gin turned to Deidara. "Uh oh... This won't end well." Deidara's visible eye twitched as he glared at Ichigo._

_"Ichigo!" Yoruichi yelled at him. "Stop messing around, we need to retreat now!" As Ichigo turned to argue with the feline, Gin's mind began working. 'Ichigo? Orange colored hair… A zanpakutō as tall as he is… I see.' _

_He popped the question. _

_"…So, you're Kurosaki Ichigo?" Ichigo stopped immediately and faced him. "You know my name?" Gin muttered something and began walking away. "O-oi! Where're you going?!" Gin outstretched his right hand, holding Shinsou in it. "In that case, I definitely can't let ya pass." Ichigo seemed ticked. "Then why are ya' walkin' so far away from me? You going to throw that wakizashi at me." _

_Gin turned his head to regard Ichigo. "This aint a wakizashi. It's my zanpakutō." Before he do anything though. Deidara held up his hand. "Hold up. You gonna kill them?" Gin faced him. "Yeah, that's the idea." Deidara grinned. "Then can I do it? He insulted me and my art, and I can't let him get away with that." Gin thought about it for a moment before agreeing. Deidara grinned and shoved his left hand into his clay bag. His other hand had been chewing on some clay already and he spit it out and began molding it. "You'll pay for insulting my art!" He threw his right hand shot out and swallow sped towards Ichigo. "What the he-" he couldn't finish the sentence before the bird was upon him._

_But the bird simply landed on his shoulder. Deidara loked dumbfounded. "What the hell?! It's not supposed to do that!" Ichigo laughed. "Haha! Looks like your art's no good. What's it supposed to do? Peck me to death?" Deidara's face changed from comically surprised to and evil grin. "Phsyc!" he brought his hands into a ram seal before Ichigo could move. _

_"Art… is a **BLAST!!**" _

_In that instant, the bird exploded in a blinding flash. The large chested teenager called out to the slowly dissipating dust cloud. "Kurosaki-kun!" Deidara scoffed. "Heh, you're not finished yet are you? That was only C1 chakra level." After a moment of silence from the cloud, the girl ran forward to it, to potentially help her friend. "Orihime wait!" Deidara threw out his other hand at her. "You don't want to get killed do ya'? Stay back!" A grasshopper attached its self to her shoulder and exploded. The big… well, Deidara hadn't ever seen a human look quite like him. He had darker completions than most. He had brown messy hair that hid his eyes, and he seemed very strong for being a teenager, if he was even that. _

_Though Deidara did sense a good bit of reiatsu from him. Anyway, he charged forward and caught the flying girl in his arms. "Geez, shut the door already!" He leaped off the carrier bird and it flew up and flaps its wings rapidly building up speed as it rocketed toward the gatekeeper. It flew with extreme speed toward him and impacted his chest. At least, it should have. _

_Deidara saw that the orange hair leaped out of the crater where he had been hit and interposed himself between the bird and the giant, his sword flipped so the flat end would be hit by the avian. A fairly good idea, if the explosion wasn't as big as it was. It caused the giant to become dislodged from under the door and threw the boy and the man out about twenty meters before landing. Of course, the gatekeeper landed sooner and skidded to a stop faster than Ichigo due to his mass._

_The cat expressed its despair over the door closing. The Hispanic and the girl were located on inside of the wall. Sprinting with speed Deidara wouldn't have thought possible; he leaped and dove under the gate before it completed its decent. They watched with gloomy hearts as the gate was about to close. Gin stood in the middle of the door and wave a "Bye-bye!" at them as it closed, Deidara giving them a left-handed two finger salute, smiling at their misfortune._

_Flash back no Justu; Kai_

* * *

Nagato sighed at the remembrance. Deidara was more of a wildcard. He could be trusted, but you had to be specific, or he would use any loop-hole in your orders to get a chance to display his "art." Currently, all the captains were having a meeting. If Zetsu wasn't out scouting Central 46, he'd have him check up on the meeting, but as things were, he was not. It was about time for him to come back too. "Speak of the devil…" Pain spoke out loud as a green venus fly-trap emerged from the ground in front of him. "I checked out Central 46 like you asked me."

"And?"

**"Here's the design layout for the whole place. But that's not the problem at this point."** Nagato took the yellow scroll that slid from Zetsu's cloak and opened it. "And that is?" Zetsu seemed slightly concerned.

**"Well, check it out."** His speech alternated between sides more often than not. "And it might throw a wrench in your plans." Nagato looked up from the scroll. "Hm? Show me." Zetsu had a unique ability to replay any event he witnessed in perfect clarity at anytime he wished, and was also able to show those memories to others through slight telepathy. **"I was about to."** Nagato closed his eyes as he allowed the information to enter his mind. When it was done, his expression didn't change. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. The blood was old enough to start darkening. As you saw, it was already a light brown." Nagato sighed. "So we were defeated before we began, hm?"

**"Looks like it. They've been dead for a while."** Nagato nodded and opened his eyes and stared at Zetsu. "No one but Akatsuki knows this. Let's keep it that way." Zetsu nodded. "Zetsu, since your free now, I'd like you to check out and record what's left of the current captain's meeting. When you're done, report back to me."

Zetsu looked fairly annoyed. "When I'm done I'm taking a break from spying. I'm gonna relax a bit while I have the chance." Nagato chuckled and nodded. "Fine, when your done with this, you can take a good break." Zetsu "Tch"ed and began to sink into the ground again when a loud clacking began to resound through Seireitei.

They heard, _"Alert! Alert! Intruders in Seireitei! All Shinigami forces report to your stations! I repeat, intruders in the city! All Shinigami, return to your stations!"_

Zetsu looked back at pain and quickly said, "Looks like the meetings over." And immediately after, his black side states quickly, **"I still get that break!"** Before Nagato could argue the point, Zetsu sunk into the roof. He chuckled for a moment before sending Deva Path hopping off and going to meet the Shinigami troops that were pouring out of the buildings. It was then that he thought of something. But since Zetsu was on strike for the time being, he'd just have Konan send the message to the others Akatsuki members. He didn't know if the other's of his kind would go for it, so he decided not to inform them and just see how they react. Until then, he settled back down and lifted his arms behind his head and laid back, crossing his leg and enjoying the cool air.

* * *

Naruto jogged through the halls of the Fourth Division's halls. Sasuke had told him that Suigetsu and Karin had taken his advice to stay in the Fourth Division rather than their first choice. That being the Eleventh. _'Ok, I can sense them here, but I can't tell where. Great, I guess I have to ask for directions.'_ He looked around and saw a nurse walking down and adjacent hallway. He called out to her and she smiled. "Hello. You must be one of the New Souls, right?" Naruto smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I guess it's pretty easy to tell, huh? Since we don't wear hakamas like you guys…" She smiled and chuckled. "Actually yes, but don't worry. You only need to worry about that when your around the Eleventh or the Twelfth Divisions. They're creepy if you ask me." Naruto laughed and nodded. "That's true. I guessed that when the crazy scientist equivalent from my world actually chose to stay at the Twelfth and one of the more violent guys stayed at the Eleventh. I guess that's to be expected then, heheh."

They laughed a bit before he asked, "So anyway, I'm looking for some friends of mine who were supposed to be staying here. One of 'em's named Hōzuki Suigetsu and the other is Karin... I don't know if you can call _her_ a Hōzuki too since they died before they fell in love. **(No one could preform the marriage)** Meh, anyway, ya seen anyone like them around?" The girl thought for a moment before it registered. "Ohh, you mean the blue haired guy who goes good with that red hared girl, and they're like all over each other?" Naruto sweat-dropped and rubbed his neck. "Eh, yeah… those guys." She brightened up and pointed to his left. "They're six doors down that way on the right."

"Thanks." He replied cheerfully before he bid her goodbye and headed down the hall. Arriving at the specified door he knocked twice. He heard stumbling from the inside and groaning. The door opened slowly to reveal a slightly disheveled and tired looking Suigetsu. "Oh, Naruto. What are you here for?" Suigetsu looked ragged; His hair was a mess, he wore only his shinobi sweats and had slight circles under his bright aqua blue eyes. Even as he leaned against the door in this condition he was still able to make some passing nurses blush as they glanced at them. Naruto felt a bit of jealousy toward his friend. _'How does he do that?! Wait, why am I complaining I've got Hinata, and she's WAY better than some crazy fan-girls.'_

Naruto shook his head to get back on topic, at least, as far as thoughts go. "There was an alert throughout Seireitei about intruders or something. They were searching all night but they never found them. Since they haven't, I came by to ask you if you wanted to help me find 'em." Suigetsu seemed to consider this, if you consider no change in facial expression and blinking a few times at the guy in front of you consideration. But before he could answer, Karin came into view from the other side of the door. "Sui? Who're you talking to?" She had a blanket around her and she wrapped her arms around Suigetsu's neck.

"Oh hey Naruto. Why're you hear?" Naruto pulled his forehead protector over his eyes as he blushed. "Well I see you and Karin were busy last night." He chuckled nervously as Karin blushed.

Suigetsu did as well but he shook it off quicker. "You said something about finding these intruders." Naruto nodded. "Yeah, since you have nothing to do around here, during the day at least…" He raised his headband up and winked at Karin before pulling it back down again. "…I thought you might enjoy a bit of hunting." Suigetsu rolled his eyes up to think about it. "Uhh, I guess. You ok with that Karin?"

Karin smiled and nodded. She had learned that Suigetsu was just the kind of person who fought anytime he was given the opportunity. The only reason he would turn down a fight was if there was something more fun he wanted to do, which consisted of only a few things. (You can guess one of them) When he fought she had no restrictions for him; she let him fight how he wanted. If he wanted to dissect the opponent, who was she to stop it? It actually _improved_ their relationship. It let Suigetsu know that she was willing to let him have some "Me Time", and that he could spend it how he wanted, while he gave her a show. (Occasionally, he would liquefy in a fight and would end up without cloths of any sort on; literally, giving her a show. But when fighting Suigetsu didn't really care about that, since he was too caught up in the thrill to notice. After the fight though, if there were other spectators aside for Karin he would get really nervous, which led Karin to always carry a few sets of spare cloths for him sealed in a scroll.)

"Sure, I don't mind. I'll just go shopping with Hinata. I need a new change of clothes any way, and it'll give us some time to catch up." Suigetsu smiled and kissed her on the cheek. She unwrapped her arms from his neck and headed back inside. "Come on and get dressed then. If you don't hurry, they'll find them before you do and your wont have any fun." Suigetsu shook his head and laughed. "She knows you pretty well Sui."

Naruto chuckled with Suigetsu who agreed. "Well, I'll be out in a minute, just got to get dressed." He went back in and shut the door, and Naruto just leaned on the wall and waited.

A few minutes later Suigetsu came out sticking his shirt on with his sword strapped to his back. "Ok I'm ready. Let's go." Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yosh! Let's go!" He and Suigetsu walked out of the barracks. Hinata joined them as they exited the building. "There you are Naru-kun! I was wondering where my little fox ran off to." Naruto blushed deeply as Suigetsu smirked at his pain. "Eh, um, just asking Suigetsu if he wanted to help look for those intruders we heard about." He rubbed his neck furiously trying to get his natural pigment to return. "Karin said she wanted to go shopping with you too. She's in room 208 of the east wing. Just ask the front desk."

"Ok then, I'll go see her. Good hinting Kitsune-kun!" With that she leaped on Naruto, almost tackling him in the process and kissed him. He blushed and nodded and affirmative. "Right, thanks!" With that, he and Suigetsu leaped up onto the nearby yellow tiled roofs and sped away, while Hinata went inside to find Karin. After all she would probably be out in a half an hour, like all self-respecting girls do.

* * *

Ichigo couldn't for the life of him figure out this dang ball! Everyone else seemed to be able to get their spiritual energies flowing through it, but he couldn't even get it to glow. "Grahh!! This thing is so frustrating!" While he practiced, Yoruichi, Ichida, Orihime and Chad/Sado were discussing the current events in Soul Society with Shiba Kūkaku. "So you want to know about recent events, eh? Like what,? A lot's been happening lately."

Yoruichi basically did the talking while the other three teens listened intently. "Just anything big we need to know about. Something that might help us out maybe." Kūkaku sighed out a puff of smoke from her pipe and lifted her head to the ceiling. "Well aside from Kuchiki Rukia's execution coming up, I suppose the only big thing happening is those new guys up in Seireitei." Ishida perked up. "'New guys?' What do you mean?"

"Well there's been a bunch of rumors going around that a new world has been found with unique souls in them. Apparently they have only recently started becoming souls instead of passing on. There are probably about, I dunno, maybe twenty members or so from that world who are actually here. The others don't seem to want to leave there world, but The Thirteen Court Guards don't have the time to flush 'em out until after the execution."

Sado was curious about these new souls. "What are they like?" Kūkaku closed her eyes and thought. "Well, they don't dress like Shinigami, so that'll be a dead give-away if you meet one. From what I understand, there is an organization from that world, and each of their members were brought here. They make up a ten man team called the 'Akatsuki'. They're even more distinguishable. They have black cloaks with red clouds on them." The group all had a sudden flashback image of the blond man with those very cloths. Ishida was quick to point out, "We fought with one of them after we defeated Jidanbō. He used these weird animals that exploded. He almost killed us."

_Flash Back no Jutsu!_

_Ichigo woke after what he thought was a moment or two. He popped up and looked around. He was in the middle of the street with Jidanbō a little bit ahead of him still missing his arm. Ishida was by his side in a moment. "Kurosaki! Are you all right?" Ichigo groaned and rubbed his neck roughly. "Yeah, I think so. What the heck was that guy?" Ishida shook his head. "I don't know, but I think he let us off easy. The blast that's hit you looked like it was more for show than damage. It was bright, but you haven't taken much damage." _

_Ichigo stared blankly for a moment. "WHAT?!? Are you telling me he could have done more?!" Before Ishida could annoyingly respond to the statements made by the orange haired teen, Orihime was quick to be by his side. "Kurosaki-kun! Are you all right? That explosion looked like it hurt." Ichigo smiled and nodded. "Well it did, but that won't keep me down." His eyes then began registering something about Orihime's attire. She had originally been wearing a tight pink shirt and jeans, but now… now not so much. _

_"W-w-who-whoa!!! Inoue! Put a shirt on Dang it!" Orihime looked down at herself in confusion. It was then she realized that that grasshopper explosive had shredded the top left shoulder of her shirt, along with the entire left side on down to her belly. Since the blast was based in a circle, the right side of her shirt was mostly intact except for the inside of her right jug which hung rather limply from her useless bra remains. Blushing a shade of crimson, so much so a tomato would be jealous, she squealed and covered her chest up with her arms, crossing them over her. _

_Ichigo couldn't help but actually be a little interested, and couldn't help a slight peak at those beautifully huge mounds._

"Dayum! She's huge! Where's the irony here? She's the most innocent person out there and yet she's more blessed than models. Kami has an interesting sense of humor."

_Chad seemed to be the only one with any modesty as he took off his own shirt and used it to shield Orihime as the others noticed that villagers were pouring out of their hiding places. The first thing they asked was to get a new shirt for Orihime._

_Flash Back no Jutsu; Kai!_

Ishida blushed slightly as he remembered his own sneaked peak at the only known female of their party. Of course, being the type that he was, he hid it quickly by adjusting his glasses and focusing on other things. "Do you know specifically their abilities or anything that might help us defeat them?" Kūkaku shook her head. "Sorry, I don't know much about them personally, only of them. The Akatsuki is actually a criminal organization in their own world. You were unlucky to have fought one so early on. They're rumored to be as powerful at least as the vice-captains. Their leader is expected to be as powerful as a captain level Shinigami. Now, as far as the non-Akatsuki go, I don't have much info on them. However, I do know that while all of the New Souls act as a community, despite their pasts, the main spokesperson is a blond teenager. I don't recall the name, but he usually hangs around with a dark haired blind girl. Don't ask me why, but if you can meet with him you might be able to convince him to help you. It's a long shot but if it works, I'm sure they'll be helpful." Before anything else could be said, they all felt a large spike of reiatsu. Orihime recognized it immediately. 'T-this is Kurosaki-kun's…'

* * *

While the Ryoka group went to check up on Ichigo's now progressing training, Suigetsu and Naruto trudged through Seireitei. "Man, they need to insulate these roads. I'm not used to tile. I'm used to dirt." Naruto grumbled. "At least your used to something. I'm not used to anything, specially not with this sword, though it is getting easier to handle." He heard a "lucky you" muttered by the blond member of their two member team. "What the-? Rain?" Naruto looked up at the sky as he heard Suigetsu's observation. "This rain… It's heavily channeled with reiatsu." Suigetsu smirked. "Looks like Pain wants to find them too. Better get crackin', let's go!" Both of them rushed through more open corridors, keeping their senses alert.

* * *

Rukia sat high atop the Shrine of Penitence, doing as she had done for the past week or two. She gazed blankly outside the small slit-of-a-window towards the execution grounds. The news Renji had brought earlier still weighed heavily on her mind. The fact that Ichigo and the others would come to rescue her, even after she explicitly told them not to, was appalling. She had brought so much suffering on Ichigo… why would he come after her? These thoughts tortured her mind. She looked at the now gray, rain-filled sky noticing a slight difference in coloration high up. "What's happening? The sky is getting lighter!!" She watched as the sky went from gray to bright yellow. All she could do was stare in wonder at it. It wasn't the sun, and it appeared to be getting brighter. What was it?

* * *

The Shinigami stared from the ground at the object that had just impacted the shield. "It hit!" a random Shinigami shouted to no one in particular. "It impacted the shield and stopped!" Another said. Aizen looked at the sphere of energy building up in the sky. "It impacted and didn't disappear… That means it has a high concentration of spirit energy…" Internally though, he already knew this. He had planned for it.

Elsewhere though, a single hand rose to the sky in the direction of the glowing bubble. _'**Banshō Ten'in.**'_

"Were going to hit!" Ishida shouted. Yoruichi called to the others. "Its unavoidable, everybody emit as much reiatsu as you can, make the cannon ball as hard as possible!" Ichigo's eyes shows fierce determination. "Let's do it!" The sphere impacted very hard onto the shield surrounding Seireitei; ripples over sent all over the dome, while lightning and reiatsu swirled about. With a sudden and very harsh pull from gravity, they exploded through the shield and separated into four shooting beams of energy, each splitting four different ways across the city.

* * *

"Kuso! It split into four." Zaraki looked up at the shooting stars that encompassed the attention of Soul Society. "So, which one is it? Which one is the strongest?!" His eyes had a manic look to them as he licked the sides of his mouth. "Taicho." Zaraki was brought back to reality by that familiar voice. He looked over his shoulder and saw him. He wore a simple Shinigami hakama but with short sleeves. "Oh, Zabuza. What do you want?" Zabuza had kept his cloth mask on even after becoming a Shinigami. Like Kakashi it made him a mystery to the ladies, though when it came to them he wasn't all that good.

Probably because he wasn't interested in them currently, but it didn't stop him from having his own fan club. "What? I was going to ask which one you were going after. Geez, you're always so irritable." It was no secret that Zabuza openly disrespected the captain on a regular basis. But the weirdest part was that even though anyone else who did so would be killed on the spot, Kenpachi wouldn't react to it. Instead he would sometimes take those words into account. Truth be told, Kenpachi had a grudging respect for his fourth-seat officer. Why he did, few actually knew, and they knew better than to share that fact with others. "Oh… that so? In that case, you know which one I'll go after." Zabuza nodded and smirked under his mask. "Then in that case, I'd better go find him for you."

"Sure." Zaraki agreed. He watched as his fourth-seat vanished shunpo-ing across the roof tops toward one of the landing sites.

* * *

Suigetsu and Naruto, having sharp eyes, quickly picked up on the glowing trails. "Oi, Naruto, check it out. They split." Naruto nodded and grinned. "Yep, looks like it. Which one should we follow?" Suigetsu brought his hand up in the one handed ram seal, gathering the chakra, or should I say, reiatsu around him. "Heh, I can feel Pain's detection rain as my own. Looks like Zabuza-sensei's already heading toward the second strongest of the six. The strongest seems to be by itself; Easy pickings for us." Naruto beamed. "But we don't want easy do we?" Suigetsu shook his head. "No way in hell! Ok so the second strongest would… probably be… Those two." Suigetsu opened his eyes and pointed to the smoke rising from the east. "Two of 'em eh?"

"Yeah. Since it's not my technique, I couldn't detect everything about them; whether they're male or female, what their most likely abilities are… Sorry." Naruto waved it off. "Nah, its fine. That would just take the fun out of it. Even Pain can't do that much, at least, not with chakra... Anyway, let's get moving before the others steal out meat." Suigetsu nodded and jumped off after Naruto. "All right! Time to cut shit up!"

* * *

**A/N: "Phew, like I said. It was a long one. This is my longest chapter with over 9,000 words. My second longest was only 7,000. I was even planning on making this one even longer to include the fighting scenes, but i had a deadline of 'Monday after Easter'. Oh well, you guys get a good Late Easter gift. Hope you liked it. Im going to be working crazy on the next chapter so dont you worry about the update rate. It's self sustaining! :P Anyway, REVIEW PLEAS!! I love reviews, they're like the children I won't have for another 8 years... mabey. Anyway, till next time; Ja ne!"**


	8. Chapter 8: Swung Down

**A/N: Wow I was pushing to get this one done. Its pretty good i'd say, but hey, im biased so i need YOU to tell ME how i do by REVIEWING. But i'll remind you at the end of the show too. **

**I realized that I haven't made a speech guide yet for you guys, so here it is:**

"Talking"

_"Thinking or Telepathy"_

**"Possessed or familiar"**

"**Technique/Zanpakuto Release**"

**By the way, this one is about 2k more words than the last one... somehow. Just throwin' that out there! Well, I hope you guys like it! I give you guys, CHAPER EIGHT:**

* * *

**_Swung Down_**

Karin finally got her hair to look nice when she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" A muffled voice came from outside. "It's me, Hinata. Can I come in?" Karin was surprised that Hinata would be here, not that she minded though. She liked the girl, in a sisterly way. She walked to the door quietly. "Sure, just a sec." She walked up to the door and opened it, indeed revealing Hinata. Hinata blushed a bit when she saw Karin, the meaning of which was lost to Karin until she realized she still wasn't wearing anything since Suigetsu left. "O-oh, I'm sorry! I d-didn't know you weren't p-presentable. I'll w-wait outside."

Karin, salvaging the situation, just laughed. "No, no. You can come in I don't mind. Were both girls anyway." Karin blushed too, and waved Hinata in. Thankfully though, there weren't any others in the halls at the moment and Karin was glad. If there were, even if they were also girls, she was sure she would have died from embarrassment. Hinata, though, was different. She at least knew her, and was friends with her. Reluctantly, Hinata quietly walked in, leaving her shinobi sandals by the door. He long midnight bluish black hair swayed with the air around her.

She wore her usual clothing: Hyuuga jacket, sweat pants, a black shirt underneath the jacket and a fishnet shirt under that. Her head band hung loosely from her neck, blocking any cleavage that the sweater might have revealed. Karin sighed at her friend's shyness. Hinata had made it very well known that the only one she would ever show her body to was Naruto. This included anything that might possibly arouse a man in any way. If she went to a hot spring, it had to be either private or non-communal, otherwise, she avoided it. Naruto didn't mind. The fact that she didn't show any skin like that endeared her to him even more. Hinata wasn't shy all that much anymore though. Over the past years of her life, and the afterlife, she had begun to express herself more. At the beginning of their relationship, she always had to have one part of her body touching Naruto in order not or stutter when addressing new people, superiors, or awkward situations. She would still blush no matter what though, but that couldn't be helped. Now though, she could act much more independently, and she had been doing her best to get out of her comfort zone and to try new things. There were, of course, limits to what she would do, such as the aforementioned restrictive viewing of her body.

Hinata closed the door and Karin turned and walked over to the bed. "I just have to get dressed and then we can head out. You're probably here because Naruto and Suigetsu are out and you want some girl time, right?" Hinata forced her remaining blush down and smiled. "Heh, looks like you know me pretty well Karin." Karin grinned and opened the closet to pull out a fresh pair of cloths. "Well, we have been friends for a few years now. I should hope I know at least that much about you." Karin put her underwear on and then her bra, followed by her booty shorts. Hinata tried to keep her mind from thinking those usual depressing thoughts as she watched. But she gave in and voiced them.

"You know Karin; I wish I was as outgoing as you." Karin slipped her jacket on and quirked an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?" Hinata folded her hands together on her lap as she sat on the bed's edge. "I mean like how you can answer the door like that for example. If I ever did that, I think I'd die before I even got the door open." Karin let out an "Ohh… that," Before snapping her jacket up and sitting beside Hinata. "It's nothing to be proud of. I wasn't thinking when I opened the door. Besides, wasn't it your love for Naruto that keeps you from doing that?"

"Well, I mean, only around him. I still wouldn't do that with others… Just with him. I'm sure he'd love the change." Karin got an evil look on her face as she grinned and said, "Oh, I'm sure he would. And that 'love' would turn into another type of 'love' and…" she let the insinuated action hang in the air as Hinata blushed furiously, and Karin chuckled again. "What? Surly you know what acting like that would do to a guy like him." Hinata's complexion softened and she smiled, her thoughts drifting off. "Well, if it ended up like that, then I'd still be happy. But even so, I want to try and be like you. Even Sakura isn't as bold as you and I can't even be like her." Karin frowned, but smiled quickly. She wrapped her arm around Hinata's shoulder. "You know what I think? I think you should stop trying to be like me or Sakura, and be more like yourself. Do things your own way, don't conform to everyone else." Hinata's eyes widened in surprise but she smiled and nodded. "Arigato, Karin." Karin smiled and gave her a hug before adding, "But if you want, we can discuss seduction techniques over a hot spring bath, ok?" Hinata turned only slight shade of pink, nodded, and chuckled to herself.

Leaving Karin and Suigetsu's given room in high spirits they left the complex and headed out to do some shopping. Entering the more metropolitan area of Seireitei, they wandered around for a about a half an hour before sitting down for a late breakfast. "Hey Hinata, can you check up on how the boys are doing? I can sense their reiatsu/chakra building up, even from this far away, and I need to wait in line for the food." Hinata complied and activated her Byakugan. The reiatsu enhanced Byakugan actually applied color now, instead of Technicolor like before. She looked around and spied Suigetsu and Naruto speeding toward one of the landing sites. "They're pretty close to one of the impact zones now. I wonder who's there…" Adjusting her gaze she examined the smoke rising from the target position. She stifled a gasp when she saw maybe a fifteen to sixteen year old girl with an equally old boy chatting.

The girl had a pink blouse on, and normal jeans. She had orange hair, and reiatsu seemed to be concentrated on her snow flake hair clips. The male had black hair, glasses, and wore all white, even a white mantle. His reiatsu seemed concentrated in a glove that was worn on his right hand. She looked back to see the boys not far off now from them. There was also another individual hiding in the shadows. He was a Shinigami from what she could tell, but she hadn't seen him before. He didn't look friendly. "Karin, send them a message. There's a Shinigami already there, and he looks ready to kill. He's hiding a little bit away from them. Tell them to be careful." Karin had just sat down with the tray of food when Hinata said this. She nodded and activated **Kagura Shingan**. With reiatsu, she could now see through others eyes, as well as communicate telepathically with others either within a limited range, or if she can connect to their specific reiatsu/chakra frequency, the range can become unlimited.

Seeing the two speeding through the streets, she sent them the warning, telling them of the two individuals and the Shinigami tailing them. After receiving a thank you, she cut the connection and went back to having lunch.

* * *

"Luck-luck-luck, luck-luck-luck-luck-luck, luck-luuuck, lucky. Ta-daaa!!" Deadpan. Ichigo and Ganju weren't really impressed with this guy, and simply stared at him.

"…"

"…"

"……."

"What the hell are you to still doing in there?! I did the lucky-lucky dance so you would have time to get out of there, and all you do is stare?! You ungrateful bastards!!" Ichigo just mentally shrugged and said, "What's up with him?"

"Hey…" Ganju called from behind him. "What?" Ichigo whispered back. "What do you mean 'what?' Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Run away?! This is no time for stupidity!"

"You're the stupid one!! Their reiatsu is much higher than normal Shinigami!!"

"Oi, what are you two arguing about? Wait; don't tell me, nothing can change your upcoming demise anyway." Ikkaku mentioned from behind them, squatting down to their level. Yumichika turned to regard his friend. "But if we wait too long, others will show up and steal our catch." Ikkaku nodded. "Ah? I guess that makes sense… Ok, I'll give you to the end of this next dance to get out of there." Ikkaku began dancing again as Ganju just shouted, "I don't care, I'm getting out of here! If you want to fight, then do it without me!!" He dashed out of the sand pit and ran for his life in the other direction of the group. "What was that about? You two break up?" Ichigo just kicked some sand. "Pretty much." Ikkaku donned a glowering face. "Tch, mendokuse. Yumichika."

"Roger." Yumichika dashed after him, with Ganju muttering something under his breath as he fled the scene. Ichigo shook his head and stepped out of the pit. "Hey, I have a question. Why aren't you running? That guy probably noticed we were stronger and high-tailed it outa here. Seemed like a smart decision to me." Ichigo just shook off the sand and stated matter-of-factly, "If you really are stronger than me, then running would be useless. You'd just catch up and I'd be forced to fight you anyways. However, if you're just a weakling, then I can kick your ass and move on. That's where my thinking took me." Ikkaku let the edges of his mouth curve upward a little.

"Oh? I see… you're not stupid after all." Just as the intention to attack was forming in Ikkaku's mind though, a familiar force caused his face to turn to the upper left. On top of the wall stood the fourth-seat of his squad: Momochi Zabuza. "Uh- Zabuza? What are you doing here?" Zabuza hopped down from the wall. He wore a standard Shinigami hakama with short sleeves, unlike the others. He wore fingerless gloves and bandages on his wrists that matched his mask. His zanpakutō rested on his left hip. The guard was horizontal in design. Also unlike most zanpakutō, his was silver, almost like ordinary metal. If the hilt were laid sideways, you could make out slightly vertical swishes carved into the hilt. There were four swishes, two above the blade, and two below it. (In other words it's the Kiri forehead protector design as the hilt)

"I'm here because I'm helping taicho out with directions. Looks like we found one of them." Ikkaku regard him for a moment. "Actually there was second. He ran off with his tail between his legs. Yumichika is after him so he should be detained pretty soon." Zabuza nodded. "And this guy?"

"I was just about to fight him before you showed up." Ichigo sighed comically. "Great, now I have to fight two at the same time…" Zabuza smirked under his smoke grey cloth mask. "No, actually. You only have to fight Ikkaku-san. He is the division's third-seat. I am merely the fourth. If he can't beat you, then there would be no hope for me." Ikkaku drew his sword and got into a battle ready stance. "Oh come on Zabuza. We both know you stronger than me." Zabuza shook his head chuckling. "And we both know that it's only because of my shinobi training that I received this position so early, not because I'm strong." Ikkaku smirked. "But that training makes up for what you lack in strength." Zabuza conceded with a slight laugh. "Ok, ok. You win. But I don't want to take away your position just for that I'm content with my placement. Either way, I'm just an observer in this battle. I won't get in the way." Ichigo muttered and grinned, "Good to know." With that, Ikkaku charged.

* * *

While Ikkaku began his fight with Ichigo, with Zabuza watching, a lone figure glances back only briefly before vanishing over the roof tops, following Ganju's yelling. He wore a pair of desert-camo cargo pants with dust grey shinobi shoes. He also wore a black long sleeved shirt with the arms only an inch shorter than his wrists. He wore black shinobi gloves (like skater gloves: cut-out-fingers style) with metal plate on the back of the hand, and insulated palms. His black hair was cut much shorter than usual and hadn't been combed so that it appeared wilder, except for a little bit so that it didn't look terrible. (Like when he was younger [you'll find out who; I'm building suspense]) He had a shinobi tool pouch behind his right hip, like most shinobi had.

_'Naruto-kun said this style fit me better, but I really need to at least comb my hair a bit more maybe. It looks like it did when I was a kid. Oh well, Naruto-kun said I need to start dressing in a more obvious guy fashion. I suppose I can understand it. Oh right, I'm still wearing the mask. Maybe I should take it off if I fight him… No, I'll leave it on. He might doubt my gender.'_ Secretly, Haku didn't mind it when people messed up his gender, but he didn't like it either. Once in a while is ok, but it just gets annoying after a while. He finally arrived at the battle, if you could call it that. Really it was that Ganju character being beaten by the Eleventh division's fifth-seat doing the beating. _'Zabuza-san told me to simply watch the battle, tail the Ryoka if he wins and determine his strengths.'_ And so he did.

* * *

Zabuza sat on the side wall watching his friend and the Ryoka boy chat. The battle had been surprising, with an equally surprising ending. Ikkaku ended up being defeated and the Ryoka had actually helped him by using Ikkaku's blood staunching cream on both of their wounds. They had been chatting for a few minutes when he returned to reality. "Hold up a sec." Ikkaku said to Ichigo, suddenly remembering something. "I need to know something. Who's the strongest of your group?"

Ichigo pondered that for a moment. "Ehh… probably… me." Ikkaku's eyes narrow from the ground. "I see. In that case watch out for the Eleventh division captain. He doesn't care about the weak. If what you said is true, he'll try and find you first." Ichigo's eyes narrowed as well. "…is he strong?" Zabuza hopped down and came over causing Ichigo to tense, but he merely picked Ikkaku up carefully. As he did so he glanced at Ichigo. "You'll know him when you see him. Also, you'll find out how strong too, if you survive the meeting." Ichigo replied seriously, "What's his name?" Ikkaku looked him straight in the eye and opened his mouth to respond.

* * *

"DAMN IT!! Another dead end!" Zaraki yelled to his pink friend on his shoulder, who merely smiled. "Ken-chan has no sense of direction!" he replied without even looking at her. "Idiot! Were only lost because of your 'intuition!' Forget it, let's try the other way." He turned around ran the other way with his little fuku-taicho giddy with excitement.

Ishida and Orihime pop their heads up from the roof they were hiding on. "Phew they're gone." Orihime sighs out. Ishida nodded an agreement. "He was probably like Ichigo, stupid but extremely powerful." He looked around at the city around him. "Which way should we go now?" Orihime spied something. "How bout there? I see a tower that way." Ishida perked his head up and spun quickly interested. "Tower? Where?" He turned though to see a giant Shinigami about to swipe clean through Orihime as she wasn't looking.

The sword came down with a resounding crash.

"I missed…?" The Shinigami turned after hearing a sound. "To move so fast… pretty good!" His eyes gazed at the white clad Quincy holding the large chested female about four or five meters away. "Nevertheless..." He turned and held his blade out in a threatening motion. "…be remorseful. If you hadn't appeared before me, you might have lived longer." The man was huge, with a flat face and a pair of large beaded bracelets and a similar necklace.

"I will give you 'till the count of ten to regret your lives. One… two…" While he was counting, Orihime was thanking Ishida. "Th-thank you Ishida. I'm fine now." Ishida kept staring at the man though. "Yeah, I can tell."

"…Nine…TEN! All right, the time for regret is up! Have you regretted enough?" Ishida braced himself. "He's coming…" Orihime nodded. "Yeah."

"And from here on, you will be even more regretful!" With that, he swung his sword down again, destroying a large portion of the building's roof. Orihime and Ishida separate to dodge. Orihime calls out, "Tsubaki! **Koton Zanshun: watashi wa kyozetsu suru!!**" Tsubaki flew at the man, but surprisingly, he only smiled. He simply slashed his sword across the flying pixy, sending him flying back to Orihime's hands. "Tsubaki!" She called out. He grunted as he spoke to her. "Stupid bitch! You fired me off half-assedly!" He returned to her hair clip before she could finish saying her name. The man shunpo-ed behind her instantly, talking an entertained voice.

"Even though I've never seen that technique before, I can tell there was no killing intent in it whatsoever. It may be able to kill Hollows, but it won't work against Shinigami. Did you think this was a playground? This is a battle field! Attacks without killing intent…" He raised his arm to strike, and did so. "…won't stop anything!!!" Just as the attack was about to hit her, he had to stop his blade. He sensed a vast amount of reiatsu release from behind him. He heard muffled grunting and loud battle yell as he turned his head just in time to see a young man with a sword double his height in the air, twisting his body to bring a giant cleaver over his shoulder and down to bisect him.

He was surprisingly fast for his build. The man raised his zanpakutō in defense, his left hand supporting the blade as well. He barely was able to block it, and as soon as he did, the larger sword lightly cut in to it. The ground around the Shinigami's feet began to crumble with the weight of both the Shinigami himself and the sword bearing down on him. With a grunt he pushed the younger assailant off, causing him to slide across to the other side of the roof. "Who are you? Their friend?" The assailant got up from his crouched position, swinging his large blade over his shoulder. "Well that depends on if their _my _friends. But I couldn't just watch as a practically defenseless girl is about to get slaughtered, now can I?"

The boy grinned flashing his shark like teeth, scaring Orihime a little bit. The look on the boys face was not commonly seen, and she could barely recognize it, but recognize it she did. It was entertainment in fighting. Tatsuki wore it occasionally when the fight got fun, but other than that, she didn't see it much. She could also tell that his kill rate was extremely high, if the sword said anything about it.

"So you're not allies? If that is so, then you must be one of the New Souls. I had almost mistaken you for a Ryoka. I wish I could play with you some more, but I have to exterminate these vermin. So if you'll excuse me…" He turned back to the girl, only to find she was being defended by a large red wolf, and it was growling at him. His eyes widened ever so slightly at the creature. Upon closer inspection he realized it was a fox, but absent its spotted tail, and much larger than any fox should ever grow to. "What's this? A lost kitsune? Don't worry little one, I'll send you to a better life." He raised his blade again, but before he could even swing, a bright light shown from inside the fox's mouth.

Said fox tucked its head down, and then swung it up releasing a white ball of cutting wind at the Shinigami. He swung down at that same time, colliding with the sphere of energy. He grunted as the wind began scratching the metal of his zanpakutō. After a few seconds though the technique died out and the man looked back at the fox, which had sat down and was wagging its tail contentedly. It turned around suddenly and walked up to Orihime. She began to sweat as she saw its red slit eyes looking her over as it circled her sitting form. It prowled around her until it was behind, and it leaned its head over her shoulder. She began to fear that it would attack her.

Uryu was knocked out on the other side of the roof, she had two very deadly persons on the roof with her, one wanted to kill her and the other probably could. And then to top it all off there was a giant fox that might be about to eat her. She closed her eyes and expected the worst. She could feel it's warm, moist breath on her neck and cheek and she could hear its breathing clearly. Her tightened even more preparing for the pain, and then she felt it. It was warm, liquid, and smelled slightly like... Oranges? He opened her right eye to peer at the animal, to find it wagging its tail next to her, and _licking_ her face. She laughed lightly as it began to attack her with warm licks all over her. "Ahahah, stop that mister fox!" It did so and stepped back to give her some room to breathe. "I thought you were going to eat me mister fox. But I see you're actually a nice animal."

It closed its eyes and smiled, as well as a fox could and said, **"Now why on earth would I eat you?"** Both the Shinigami and the girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-y-y-you're… talking….?" The fox laughed. **"Well of course I'm talking! Foxes are the smartest living creature in the world you know. But I guess I can see why you'd think I'd eat you. Don't worry, I rarely eat other humans. Only the really bad ones."** It grinned even wider. **"But even so, like that man said, I don't sense any killing intent from you. In fact, you mind me of her… At least in your purity."** Orihime was confused as he said that. Her eyes were large circles, like always. They shined a sliver purple, but more silver than not. She wasn't sure what to make of the creature that now positioned itself in front of her.

**"Suigetsu, I'll protect the girl. You can have fun with him this time."** Orihime turned her head to the blue haired youth. Who smiled and thanked the fox, calling him "Kitsune-san", causing him to make a comical reply that caused Orihime to smile, despite the seriousness of her situation. Uryu was beginning to regain consciousness from where he hit his head. "Oh, Kitsune-san, can we move over there to my friend? He might need my help."

The fox nodded and told her to get on his back, which considering his size was easily possible. The Shinigami chuckled, his whole frame moving up and down with the air rushing in and out.

"Now who said you could help him? Not me. You will regret helping them, Souls. You will regret this…" He brought his left hand to the tip of the blade and laughed out, _"_**Flap Away, Tsunzakigarasu!**" At the command he smashed his left hand down, causing the blade to collapse and shatter into many flying curved shuriken type knifes, constantly spinning.

They began to move all around him while he laughed. "How's that for regret? I am Jirōbō Ikkanzaka: Fourth seat of the Seventh division, also known as Kamaitachi Jirōbō! Kamaitachi is the name given to the strongest airborne weapon user. Countless blades all dancing around. All those who saw Tsunzakigarasu never lived to tell the tail!"

The blades moved faster, blurring in and out of existence faster than Orihime could see. The fox beneath her tensed. "How's that? It's too fast for you to see isn't it?! Fighting with me, an expert with airborne weapons… You guys will regret it forever!!"

He stretched out his hands than the blades flew toward her and the fox. **"Hold on tight, girl."** He whispered. She dug her fingers into its fur and gripped herself close to it, also wrapping her legs around underneath its stomach to keep herself on. She closed her eyes and readied herself. The blades neared them even more, and just before they hit she felt herself heave from inertia. She heard the clinking of metal against stone as well as the shattering of clay.

She opened her eyes and she found that she was sitting beside Ishida with the fox still wagging its tail in front of them. Ishida groaned and shook his head, trying to clear the wooziness. "What happened?" He looked around as his sight cleared. The Shinigami had thrown little knives at the ground but clearly away from any of the other figures around him. When he saw the giant fox he wasn't quite sure what to do. "Don't worry Ishida-kun, he's on our side. And I think the other one is too."

"To have moved fast enough to dodge all of them… No one has done that before!"

Suigetsu hefted his sword up and grunted in annoyance. "Great, now I don't have a sword to chop in half. I guess I'll just have to settle with your head and maybe your ego while I'm at it!" The Shinigami huffed and cried out, "Don't make me laugh! Just because an oddball fox was able to dodge them doesn't mean a brat like you can!" He swung his arms again as Suigetsu leaped over them, raising his sword over his shoulder for another vertical chop. The blades went under his jump, but the Shinigami just laughed again. "You think you dodged? Now despair!" She moved his left hand backwards, and the blades that went under him now circled around behind him with more coming in front of him. Uryu shouted to the fox, "He won't be able to dodge that! Go help him!"

The fox didn't stray its gaze. **"No, no he can't, and there's no need."** To Uryu's surprise, he could barely make out that the fox was grinning! Suigetsu continued his decent with the blades closing in. "Then I won't dodge!" He laughed out as the blades found their mark. Cutting into cloths, flesh and bone, they cut right through him. Jirōbō had already turned away and was staring at them. He was about to flick his hands again when he felt the cold touch of steel, and sting that represented the splitting of skin shiver along down his back. His eyes widened as he felt his shoulder have that same feeling.

_'Impossible!'_

He couldn't see what had happened, but the other could. Uryu and Orihime's eyes bother widened as they saw the blades cut into the teen and then out the other side of him, but the boy continued to smile and when Jirōbō was facing away he brought his arm down, with the midpoint of his giant zanbato blade down on the man's right shoulder. It cut right through him spraying blood all over the floor around them, but surprisingly didn't get on their cloths. The man screamed in agony as he fell down to his knees, clutching his right shoulder stump. Suigetsu was already moving and got in front of him and kicked him in the chest breaking a few ribs and forcing him down to his back.

Wasting no time he flipped the blade backwards and stabbed it down with his right hand on the man's left shoulder using the broad cutting tip. The strike severed his other arm. The vibrating blades around him fell silent and those still in the air stopped moving around. Suigetsu smiled excitedly as he saw this. His cloths wore torn but he looked no worse for wear.

"Heh, thought so. You used drew too much attention to yourself. Every time you attacked, you swung your arms around. I confirmed it when you tried to attack me. You had to move your hands and arms in a corresponding manner to the way you wanted to attack. That made the best way to defeat you obvious. Simply cut off the arms! It's easier than it sounds. Do you regret showing your technique to me now? Do you regret having faced such an opponent?" He smiled down on the man as he leaned his foot on the man's chest. Blood gushed from his open shoulders as he tried to get his breathing under control, which was not easy considering that he had about three broken ribs and one of them was poking his lung.

"B-but you… I saw you… You were hit directly." The young man laughed hard. "Hello! Did you ever stop to think? To gauge your enemies strength or his abilities? My name is Hōzuki Suigetsu. It's all in the name! What you saw was merely the reflection of the moon on the water. Even though it may look like the moon, it's still only water. Your lack of intelligence of any kind has proved to be your undoing. How did that go? 'Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall.' I think you are the living incarnation of that proverb." Suigetsu looked from the man to Orihime and lost his grin. "Hey, onna." She straightened up and replied hastily. "H-hai?"

"Is that guy over there your boyfriend?" She blushed as he said that and Ishida blushed as well, shifting his glasses to reflect the sun, hiding his eyes behind the reflection. "Iie! He's just a normal friend! I don't have a boyfriend yet…" She finished the sentence dejectedly. Suigetsu seemed to smile softly despite his cold demeanor. "Well do you have someone you want to be your boyfriend?" She blushed again and didn't even have to think as she nodded with the trace of a smile etched on her lips. "Oh good." He turned back to Jirōbō and shoved his foot down harder.

"You hear that? She has someone precious to her. Did you ever think about the people you affect by killing or injuring someone else? I saw the whole thing. You went for the girl the entire time. Every chance you had, you tried to attack her. Only when I attacked you did you shift attention. Don't try denying it! Your lower than low; your scum. She had something to live for! That's why she fought you. I can tell just be feeling the air around her. She's never hurt a soul in her life, yet she fought you without hesitation, and even so failed to even injure you. Do you know why she did that? She did it for that special someone. That person that drives her along, that drives her to win. Yet you would willingly go after her simply because she was the weaker of the two. You make me sick!"

The fox spoke in a neutral tone. **"Suigetsu, that's enough."** Suigetsu looked back with a different sort of face on. Ishida and Orihime didn't understand what it was. They couldn't understand what it was. But the fox apparently knew, as he sighed and reluctantly gave a nod. **"Fine, go ahead."** Suigetsu nodded a "thank you" and turned back to the man, hefting his blade up again. Uryu began to sweat. "W-what is he doing?" The fox turned and indicated for the girl to get on him. He then walked over to Ishida and grabbed him but the collar of his mantle with his mouth. In a flash all three of them were away from the battle site and moving onwards toward a secluded area. Continuing to flash away, Uryu was amazed by the fact that a fox of all things was moving so fast, even more so the fact that it could talk. _'Hm, must be trend in animals familiar to Soul Society.'_

Finally they stopped flashing and the fox set Ishida down. Orihime took this as her cue to get off as well. **"You two should be able to ignore his screams at this distance."** Ishida furrowed his brow and asked again, "What the hell's he going to do to him?!" The fox sighed and looked up at the sky. **"His own brand of justice."** Ishida didn't pressure beyond that. A few minutes later the boy came back, with the blade strapped to his back. He was wiping his hands on a black piece of cloth. Uryu could tell that there were traces of blood on his hands and forearms as well as his sword. The fox looked at him. "Well?"

Suigetsu showed no pleasure from this statement as his frown only deepened. "He learned his lesson. He won't hurt anyone ever again." Ishida knew that the blood on the boy and the boy's statement meant that the Shinigami was most likely dead. "You should have left him. He lost his arms and was bleeding badly. He wouldn't have been able to hurt us." Suigetsu looked miffed and scoffed at the black haired teen. "Like you would know. I know your type; you've never had that precious someone, or if you have, you've never had that someone threatened simply because she seemed the weakest of the group. You don't know what it's like to suffer the agony of losing that person, or even thinking you might lose them. Compared to those feelings… I'd rather slaughter a whole contingent of Shinigami in the most brutal way then suffer that pain!" Suigetsu placed his right hand over his heart and gripped the skin and clothes that covered it as he hung his head down. His whole face was hidden by its own shadow from the others.

Ishida continued despite the pain this was obviously putting the blue haired in. "Then why did you kill him?! Orihime meant nothing to you, and you didn't have to fight him!" The blue haired teen looked up and shouted, "SHUT UP!! I did it because she was the one being picked on! People who do the picking don't deserve life. I did it because I can relate! Your right, I didn't have to. I did it because I wanted to!" His voice was breaking and his eyes dripped with tears. Ishida stopped stunned. Here in front of him stood a hardened killer, and yet that killer seemed to posses emotions that were very unexpected, more humane than would be expected. Orihime's eyes began to water too as she heard his reply.

The fox seemed to draw them all back to reality. "Hey, we can't just stay around here chatting. The Shinigami will find us here quickly if we don't move on." The others nodded, with Suigetsu and Orihime wiping there tears away with the backs of their arms. "The come on." Orihime mounted the fox again and Suigetsu vanished along with Ishida. Orihime was beginning to get accustomed to the realm that constituted of blurring shapes. As she looked around she could see the blue haired teen, Suigetsu leaping from roof to roof, easily keeping up with Ishida, who at the same speed as her allowed her to see exactly how he was keeping up. He seemed to ride on a cushion of reiatsu that he generated. Actually it was reminiscent of skate boarding to her.

She smiled as she felt the air blow around her. After a few minutes they ended up in a secluded area. She got off and Suigetsu went to a small shed and opened the door, instructing them to enter. Since they didn't really have a choice, and they had saved them, the two Ryoka did as they were told. Once inside they waited until Suigetsu had locked the door and barricaded it. He then unstrapped his sword, along with the strap and laid it down beside where he sat cross-legged on the floor, sipping a bottle of, presumably, water. His unfriendly aura was slowly diminishing back to its former self, but wasn't quite there yet.

The fox closed its eye for a moment before opening them again. **"Yosh, we should be safe for now. I guess that means I don't need this anymore…"** Steam instantly engulfed him as the two Ryoka stared on in fascination. The orange fur seemed to turn to air as they evaporated layer by layer. After a few moments they were faced with a blond haired teenager, about their age, on all fours panting lightly. He wore a black jumpsuit with orange claw-striping on the chest and back. He slowly got up revealing his face. He had gorgeous blue eyes and thin whisker marks on his cheeks, three on each. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead before reaching into his pocket and pulled out a black strap. Revealing it to be a headband with a metal plate on it, he wrapped it on his head and tied it. It had an odd leaf design on it, with a swirl in the center.

"Yo, sorry it took me so long. I'm still getting used to that ability." He grinned casually at the two others. "Well personally I'd like to chat about you guys in a more personal way, but I can't promise that even this is a safe place. So if you don't mind, we need to get down to business. 'Who are you and why are you here?' for starters." Ishida and Orihime started their tale hesitantly but finished after drawing interested looks from both of the others. "So, you're a Quincy who is following a Shinigami, a cat and involved a Mexican, a pretty girl and a pyrotechnic maniac into Seireitei in order to save another Shinigami who committed a horrendous crime and are trying to save said Shinigami without even forming a plan for her rescue?" Ishida sweat-dropped at how the blond had managed to sum up their attempt at recuing Rukia in such a blatant manner. "Er, well…" Ishida started before Orihime cut him off.

"Rukia-san didn't do anything wrong! All she did was give her powers to Kurosaki-kun so that he could save his family! There's nothing bad about that!!" Naruto's head twitched at her pure spirit. "Heh, so it seems. But still, did you even think about getting her out once you got in?"

"Well we had planned on entering all together so we could fight together, but we got separated from each other…" Orihime said. Naruto nodded. "Well since you've practically introduced yourselves to us through your story, I guess it's only fair we return the favor. I'm Namikaze Naruto, Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure." Suigetsu sipped from his cup again before answering. "Hōzuki Suigetsu. No special title required." He went back to his drink. Ishida nodded. "I guess you were a pretty powerful person back in your world then, as defined by your title." Naruto chuckled lightly. "Yeah, just a little bit." Ishida then remembered a certain subject that had been discussed at Kukaku's residence that had escaped his mind entirely.

"Oh, right! When we were getting ready to break in here, we received Intel that there were new souls here in Soul Society. Obviously you must be them, but what we want to know, if it's not too much to ask, is if you would help us in helping our friend." Naruto's face went serious as he leaned his head back and sighed. "Wow, that was sudden. To be honest, I would help you, but I can't make that decision on my own." Suigetsu grunted an agreement still sipping on his water, until it ran dry. "Uh! Damn!" He hooked it onto his belt and unhooked the second one and began straw-chugging that one as well.

When he realized that the outburst had everyone looking at him, he scratched his neck nervously. "Yeeeaah, it aint up to me either. Sorry. Now if it were up to me I'd go for it in a heartbeat. As it is… Now, while our side of the group would probably help you, (don't get your hopes up though) the Akatsuki on the other hand… We're not sure about them. They kind of have their own little agenda and stuff."

Naruto sighed and nodded, reaffirming his words to the Ryoka. "But the problem is that we can't hide you guys and discuss this with our group at the same time. We stay in the division barracks, so meeting there would be impossible, and despite our strengths, we still have a curfew, and were constantly under watch. Personally, I'm surprised we haven't been found out yet." He leaned his head on his hand and sighed, clearly bored. He then got a distant look in his eye. He rolled his eyes up and then nodded, as if talking to someone without talking. "Suigetsu, Karin and Hinata are on their way. Other than Sasuke, everyone else who isn't in the Akatsuki is allready pretty much in this."

Suigetsu smiled and nodded. "So they were watching from our minds, eh? Creepy how Karin does that, but hey who am I to complain? Good to know were all agreed."

"Well, we have yet to hear their take on the story, so Hinata and Karin want to meet these people face to face." Suigetsu had a look of understanding planted on his face. Orihime smiled and asked, "A-ano, who's Hinata and Karin? Are they friends of yours?" Naruto and Sui shared an amused glance and busted out laughing. Orihime seemed put out by this and she looked down dejectedly. Before Ishida was able to stand up for her in defense, Naruto was able to contain his laughter enough to only chuckle while he spoke.

"Heheh, Sorry 'bout that. It's just, heheheh, funny that you would ask that. Karin is Suigetsu's lover. They would be married but we haven't met anyone able to perform the ceremony. Now Hinata, she's my wife, and I don't make decision without her." Ishida had a look of incredulity on his face.

"M-m-married?! You're married at your age?!" Naruto laughed and gave him his usual grin. "Yup! But actually were older than we appear. Don't ask why. But in reality I'm 97 years old as of October 10th. Suigetsu is the same age."

The next half an hour was filled with idle talk about their worlds and techniques, though that chat was limited. The talk was enjoyable and went uninterrupted until Ishida felt a presence outside. "Someone's outside." He whispered lowly. Naruto just laughed. "Don't worry, I'd know my Hina-hime's presence anywhere." Suigetsu could sense them too. "Karin's with her. Great, now I have to un-barricade this Damn door…" He grumbled as he lifted the large objects with seemingly ease, surprising the Quincy. Orihime was simply wowed by the ability.

Finally the last object was removed, and as Suigetsu reached for the handle the door busted off its hinges and fell on top of him. _'W-what the hell?!'_ As the small dust could settled they saw a sixteen year old girl with long blazing red hair and similar eyes standing on the door as she looked around. Ishida and Orihime didn't know what to think about her, or if they should tell her that she squashed the poor guy. She wore a very provocative outfit; trench coat, booty shorts, and some sort of sandal boots that ran up to her lower-mid calf.

She looked around and saw three of them, and she had a curious look on her face until she heard a knocking from under the door, where she noticed a small puddle had seeped from beneath. She gasped as she got off and lifted to door to reveal Suigetsu's clothing and the water that he was made of. Slowly the water began to reform, thankfully within the cloths that previously held him, and he slowly got up and shook his head before glaring at the red head.

She didn't seem worried about him; instead she seemed a little ticked. "You took too long. I got tired of waiting." She said as if it was a worthy excuse for knocking a door down onto the ground, on top of you. The Ryoka hadn't actually known that Suigetsu was made of water, so the view of him splashing and reforming was slightly unsettling for them both. Suigetsu crossed his arms and turned his head the other way from her.

She sighed and pulled out another water bottle from her belt and handed it to him. He took it surprisingly, sniffed it and took a sip. His face lit up and looked like a kid who just got an ice cream. "Yay! You always know how to make an apology without actually making an apology!" He smiled and continued to sip on the bottle, a grin covering his face.

Karin smiled and walked over to Suigetsu and sat beside him, perhaps a little too close for comfort in the eyes of the Ryoka. _'But then, that must be that man's lover they told us about. So the blonde's wife must be…'_ He gasped as he saw a beautiful girl come from outside as soon as Suigetsu sat down. She had long black or blue hair, Ishida couldn't really tell, but it was closer to midnight black. It was blow her shoulders in length, and swayed with each step she took. She had graceful feminine features, smooth pale skin, and a kind complexion. Her figure, however, was hidden beneath a few layers of cloths. When she had come close enough, he saw that her eyes were grey.

_'Is she blind?'_ The question wafted around in Ishida's head before he remembered what Kukaku had also said:

"However, I do know that while all of the New Souls act as a community, despite their pasts, the main spokesperson is a blond teenager. I don't recall the name, but he usually hangs around with a dark haired blind girl. Don't ask me why, but if you can meet with him you might be able to convince him to help you."

He blinked at the remembrance, and slapped himself for his stupidity at having not seen it before, even after he had said he was their spokesperson. He looked back up at the girl in the doorway, who was no longer there. He looked over to the blonde to see him wrapped in a hug that he could have sworn came from the result of a flying glomp.

"Naruto-kun! I'm glad you're safe! How was it? Did you have fun?" She asked excitedly. Naruto laughed and rubbed his neck. "Actually Suigetsu ended up killing the Shinigami who was attacking these two Ryoka. We had originally planned on killing them, but we can't just go around killing teenagers without hearing them out, ya know?" The grey eyed girl looked back at Orihime and Ishida with a slightly stunned expression on her face.

"You mean, these are the intruders from earlier?" Ishida felt a little weirded out that a blind girl was looking at him. "Y-yes, we are those very same people. I've already explained it to him in detail, so I'll give you the basics. Our friend was arrested for transferring her Shinigami powers to another friend in order to save his family. The repercussions of this caused her to be arrested and imprisoned here in Soul Society. Myself, Inoue Orihime, and four others: Yasutora Sado, Shihōin Yoruichi, Kurosaki Ichigo, and Shiba Ganju."

Suigetsu irked an eyebrow with a smirk. "'Ichigo?'" His laughter was barely concealed. Karin couldn't help but snicker as well, but still slapped Suigetsu on the shoulder for being rude. Naruto laughed too, but in a more understanding tone. "They want to rescue the girl who's locked up in the Shrine of Penitence. That's the girl. When we found these two, a Shinigami officer was about to kill her, so Suigetsu took off and injured him. After giving him 'the speech', I took them away and Suigetsu finished the job."

"You mean you didn't fight him at all?" Hinata asked a she pouted, more for Naruto's sake than her own. "Heh, nope. Well, I did get a blast on him. But other than that, I felt like Suigetsu needed some venting time. And he seemed pretty stubborn on teaching that Shinigami not to mess with another person's precious someone." Karin gave a glare at Naruto and then at Suigetsu. Suigetsu began to sweat as he understood the implications of Naruto's words. "W-wait a minute Karin, you aren't understanding this right!"

"Oh, aren't I?" Naruto also began to sweat, knowing what was in for Suigetsu if Karin went on with this perspective in mind. "GAH! Wait! I didn't mean it like that Karin! I meant he attacked him and protected her because she was precious to a friend of hers and the Shinigami was picking on her. The reason he did it was because he knew what it feels like to have his precious person attacked and hurt, so he was trying to prevent it from happening to someone else's!!" Naruto heaved that all out in one breath. Panting slightly, still sweating, he looked nervously at Karin. Suigetsu had frozen in a cold sweat, himself.

Karin's looked from Naruto's to Suigetsu's, still holding that murderous glare. "Is that true?" Suigetsu gulped and whimpered a yes. Karin waited a moment before giving him a huge hug. "Awww, that's so sweet of you!" Suigetsu seemed to melt, literally, in her arms when he heard that.

"Namikaze Naruto was it?" Naruto and Hinata broke their attention away from the Sui/Karin moment to see Ishida on his knees, bowing I respect to the former shinobi. "On behalf of my group, I ask you to help us anyway you can to save our friend." Hinata was surprised and Karin only a little less than that. Sui and Naruto both just sighed. "Karin, ask Nagato what the Akatsuki think about this." Ishida looked up suddenly. "You're going to ask the Akatsuki?"

"Sure, why not?" Ishida flinched back and averted his gaze from Naruto. "We heard rumors before we came here. We heard that the Akatsuki were a criminal organization from your world. That's all we know. Well, actually, we did fight one of them trying to get in here." Each of the shinobi raised their brows. "He had long blond hair that covered half his face, and he used living explosives."

"Deidara." Each of the shinobi said it at the same time, making it sound like a demonic entity had spoken the name. Naruto continued after a slight chuckle. "Heh, I'm not surprised he wouldn't hesitate to fight you. He considers the explosions he creates art, and anything artistic worth blowing up. He'll take any excuse to show others the beauty of his art. He's powerful and reliable when he's on the job." Suigetsu shrugged and turned to Karin. "Anyway, Karin do your magic." Karin got a devilish grin on her face as she turned to him placing her hands in the ram seal. "And which magic are you referring to, Sui-kun?" Suigetsu blushed heavily when she said that and turned away. "You know what I mean, Damn it!" Karin grinned triumphantly as he pouted and she used her ability to contact the Akatsuki leader.

* * *

Nagato loved resting. He had nothing else to do, true, but he also loved the relaxation he got from it. It might not have been a good idea to have napped on top of the Shrine of Penitence though. He found it was difficult actually get any peace up here. First the Shinigami demanded to know what he was doing, waking him up in the process. That hadn't gone well. They were currently still on the ground unconscious except for the two guards that were required to constantly watch the door, and they knew better than disturb him.

And now, someone was communicating to him. Who was it? Karin?

_'Of course we'll help them. After all, who do you think ordered Deidara to keep them from entering Seireitei?'_

Karin answered telepathically. _'WHAT?! That's why Deidara was there? Wait, why did you kick them out, only to help them now?' Nagato chuckled. 'Didn't I just say it? I helped them by doing that. When Deidara informed me that Ichimaru Gin, one of the captains was on the other side of that door, I gave him orders to get the Ryoka out of there, or else they would be killed for sure. Between Deidara forcing them out and Ichimaru forcing them out, Deidara is the lesser of two evils. Besides, Shiba Kukaku, whose cannon they used to get in, was the only other option for them. When they hit the barrier, who do you think pulled them through at the last minute before they would have been incinerated from the shield? It was me. So when you ask why I did all this, I guess you could say, it's because we're all bored, and we need the excitement. That's the simple answer. The other answer, is more complicated.'_

_'That won't convince Naruto, you know that.'_ Nagato mentally nodded. _'I know. Just tell him, were behind him. The Shinigami seem to underestimate us, and no matter who you are, if you're a shinobi, then you have t prove them wrong. That's just how it goes.'_

The connection cut off as soon as he finished and he opened his eyes. Sighing he slowly got up and looked about him. Seireitei was a peaceful place, aside for the small conflicts he felt, rather than saw, in it. "I guess it's time to get to work." His sight was drawn to a large explosion high above the city. "Deidara?" No, this was a simple firework style explosion; Deidara would have made a bigger boom. Using his Rinnegan, Nagato could see the form of another chakra signature following the area near the explosion. "Ok, let that guy follow the Ryoka. No need to trouble myself."

He would have gone back to resting except for Zetsu materializing in front of him. **"Guess my breaks up then."**

"Are you sure you've had a long enough break? It was only about a day or two." Zetsu merely shrugged. "Oh, you know how it is, have a long enough break and things get boring. I need something to do. **Besides, I don't exactly have a girl to spend that time with y'know."** Nagato chuckled. "To bad for them, huh? They're the ones missing out. Heheh… Anyway, you know how the Ryoka had a cat with them?" Zetsu nodded.

"I want you to find that cat and tell it to meet an Akatsuki member near the south district." Zetsu nodded again and prepared to move when Nagato added, "Oh, and when you're done with that, I need you to leave captain Aizen a message. Don't meet him in person, just leave him a message." He reached into his cloak sleeve, the full cloak having been used as a blanket from the wind as of recently, and retrieved a scroll. He handed it to Zetsu who then disappeared. Nagato picked himself up and slipped the cloak on, snapping it up until his body was covered. Fortunately, Orochimaru was able to make special clothing that masked the presence of reiatsu, chakra, and if a human used it, life force. He put on his hat too, and the masking was complete. He was essentially invisible to the world.

Each of his six paths had a reversible cloak, one that would mask energy on one side, and simply look fashionable on the other side. He would have Animal Path talk to Aizen, should he agree to meet him. Why Aizen? There was just something about him, something that seemed off. He had been placed in the Fifth division by co-taicho Genryūsai, and he had found that while the Shinigami captain was a nice man, it seemed like there was more to him. Of course, when he had been introduced, he had a henge on that made him look actually very ordinary.

But if Aizen answered the message, then he would meet him as Animal Path. It would be then that he would be questioned. He had seen few men like him, and he was determined to find his true purpose.

* * *

"I hereby permit the use of the war-time release of zanpakutō within Seireitei. I will also excuse Ichimaru Gin's earlier solo-act this once, due to the nature of this intrusion." Genryūsai had called for a captain's meeting that very day. Abarai Renji's defeat earlier had caused a small uproar among the higher ups. Byakuya had decided to have him locked up for his failure, much to Hinamori's dismay. His defeat however, brought about this meeting. Now, all Shinigami troops of vice-captain and higher were allowed to fight with everything they had, no restrictions.

"Thanks!" Gin said a bit too happily. The aged warrior continued, "Everyone, we may very well be in an all out war with these intruders. Be ready for them. Also, please inform those who could not come to this meeting. That is all." The captains filed out fairly quickly leaving only the old man himself in the room.

* * *

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Hinaomori dashed through the small balconies that intermingled with each other and made up the main way of travel in the higher parts of the center fortress. "Aizen taicho probably woke up early, but why didn't he wake me up?! I hope I can make it in time…" She continued through the twisting pathways until she fork in the road. The other way was blocked off by a small sign with the Fifth division's crest on it. This usually meant that the area was closed off for construction, mess clean-ups, or for whatever reason the division needed. "I'll take a small shortcut!" She leaped gracefully over the sign and rounded a corner. "Yes! I'm sure I'll make it..." He voice caught in her throat at the scene before her, before un-catching in a shriek of fear.

"IYAAAAAAA!!!!"

The other nearby vice-captains heard the terror filled yell, fortunately.

"What was that?!"

"It came from east of the Great Holy Wall!"

Kira, vice-captain of the Third division, however noticed the origin of the voice. "Th-that's Hinamori's voice!"

"What's wrong? Hinamori-kun" Rounding the same bend that she had previously passed, they saw what she did. She was in a cold sweat and her eyes welled with unshed tears, panting in fear and disbelief. "AIZEN-TAICHO!!!!" The group stared in shock. Aizen was tabbed through the chest, impaled into the wall high above the ground, blood from his body running down the wall in a small river. "Aizen-taicho! Aizen-taicho!! No!! This isn't real! Aizen-taicho, Aizen-taicho!!" The group of others just stared in disbelief themselves, sweating as well. Hinamori was disturbed by a familiar voice behind her. That informal speech that so distinctly identified Ichimaru Gin.

"Now who's screamin' so early in the mornin'?" She turned to see him approach from behind the whole group, seemingly ignorant of the scene before him. She had a sudden flash back to when she had seen Renji after him being defeated at the base of the fortress.

_Flashback no Jutsu!_

_After having been chewed out by Kira, watching as Abrai was practically disowned as Kuchiki-taicho's vice-captain, and having subsequently ordered his imprisonment, and having chatted briefly with Ichimaru Gin of the Third division, who also offered to callfor the Fourth Division for her, she had been scared out of her wits by Hitsugaya as he stood away from her back facing Renji's body. "Hi-Hitsugaya-kun!"_

_"Oi oi, I'm a captain now. You shouldn't call me that."_

_She yelled at him comically. "Be quiet! I've had enough! How come all the captains never make a sound when they walk?!" before waiting for an answer, she continued. "By the way, Hitsugaya-kun, why are you… Why are you here?"_

_Tōshirō looked away from her. "… I'm here to give you some advice. Be careful of the Third division." She looked at him surprised. "Huh? The Third division? You mean Kira-kun? Why?" _

_"I 'm talking about Ichimaru Gin, but watch out for Kira too. At least, it won't hurt you to keep an eye on them. Especially…" He glared at her with his piercing silver eyes. "…when Aizen walks alone at night."_

_Flashback End._

The memories of last night flooded her mind, forcing her to act on emotion. Screaming at the top of her lungs she charged Gin. "IT WAS YOU!!!" She raised he blade to slash him across the chest, her sadness temporarily replaced by fear. She never touched him. Kira stood in her way, his own blade angled to catch hers. She was startled to see him in her way. "Kira-kun! Why?"

He responded blankly. "I am the vice-captain of the Third division! I don't care what your reason is, I cannot allow you to pint your sword at my captain!" Hinamori was on the verge of tears, you could see it so clearly in her eyes. "Please… move aside, Kira."

"I can't."

"Move aside… Move!"

"I can't!"

"What part of 'move aside' don't you understand!!?"

"What part of 'I can't' don't you understand!!?"

She had had it. She activated her Shikai. "**Snap! Tobiume!**" Reiatsu soared around her, throwing Kira out of balance. "What?!" A massive explosion ripped through the highly suspended walkway. Kira slid away from it while Hinamori hadn't moved, but glared at him intently. "How dare you release your zanpakutō like that?! How shallow! Think about what you're doing! Don't mix emotions with official business, Hinamori fuku-taicho!"

She didn't listen. In response, she launched another sphere of energy at Kira, narrowly missing him. "…If you insist, I have no choice but to treat you as an enemy!" He charged at her raising his blade above his head. "**Raise your head, Wabisuke!**" The both slashed at each other but were intercepted by Hitsugaya Tōshirō. Clearly infuriated at both of them, he orders their arrest. The other vice-captains comply and apprehend them. Ichimaru, well you couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling, but cheerfully said, "Sorry, fo' that, Hitsugaya-taicho. My guy caused ya some trouble." Tōshirō wasn't facing him but spoke anyway. "Ichimaru, you were planning on killing Hinamori, weren't you?"

"Whatever are you talkin' about?"

"I'm warning you." He turned and his eyes flashed danger at Gin. "If you make Hinamori shed one drop of blood, I'll kill you." Gin continued to smile, as always, as he replied. "My my my, what a scary thing to say. If that's the case, ya better make sho' to protect her from bad guys." With that he walks away, with Tōshirō looking after him. No doubt he would be part of the cleanup crew now.

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Ahhh finally. Finished with that one. Will get right on with the next one, promise! Remember, you need to REVIEW or I wont know how good im doing. Just give me your opinions, anything, no hate mail though. If you have a complaint, dont flame me, just express what you think is wrong. Oh and im using the dialogue, somewhat, from the manga i read off of for the parts i dont remember or the parts i cant find on anime, so just in case you were thinking, "Well they didn't say it that way" its because its the manga. **

**Well, if the timeline is right, then i think youll enjoy the next one. What happens? Sorry, no spoilers this time. THOU SHALL FIND OUT IF THOU DOST REVIEW!!! (Reviews keep this story alive) Anyway, leave your comment on your way out! Till next time, Ja ne!**


	9. Chapter 9: Ensuing Chaos

**A/N: "Whoo! This here's a doosy!! You have no idea how long it took me to make this. At over 18 THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED words long, it nearly doubles my previous chapter lengths! (For those of you who cant estimate, thats approximately 35 Microsoft Word pages.) Well anyway, im on vacation down here in Hilton Head, South Carolina. That doesnt mean i wont be writing my next chapter though! Im planning on working my $$ off to get you guys the next chapter!"**

**"Ok, some of you have asked me, and/or ordered me to change it up a bit from the canon since i've done everything pretty much according to it. Also, some of you have noticed that im skipping areas. Well to answer those is a fairly simple task. First, the canon issue: I'm keeping the SS arc for the most part canon since everything that happens in the SS arc affects Ichigo & Co. a great deal in the Arracar arc and the Fake Karakura arc. So many events i simply have to keep canon.**

**Next, the skipping: The scenes i skip are scenes that i believe wouldn't change even with the New Souls thrown in, or i simply dont want to take the time to rewrite the scene for you. I have seen this work very effectivly with Denim88's 'Cracked Mask', and im attempting to replicate it. Basicaly it skips any event that doesnt deal with the main characters (in his case Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, and sometimes Ichigo). There are scenes I will rewrite for you so you guys dont get completely lost."**

**"Also, BIG NOTE! I hadnt exactly expected Nagato and Naruto to get along like they did in the last two manga chapters XD As such, i made the mistake of making them enemies in this story. I actually had to edit some parts of this story when i read it friday. So now their more like brothers."**

**"Now, ON TO THE STORY!!!"**

* * *

**_Ensuing Chaos_**

Zetsu had already done as Aizen had asked him when he began to stalk the strongest of the Ryoka. Surprisingly, it was the cat. As it turned out, he delivered the message, but Aizen never came that night to meet Nagato. It was the next morning he was found dead. Zetsu went back to the late captain's room and found the letter, opened. "So he did read it." He said. "**Looks like it. Wonder if he was on his way to meet Nagato when this happened. **Who knows?" He retrieved the message, as it would most likely be confiscated by the Shinigami during the investigation, and that would point out Nagato, or Pain as the last one to see him. That would not bode well for any of them if that news was let out.

It was a while before the cat stopped and turned around to stare down the empty pathway. "I know your there, come out." Zetsu shrugged at being found out and stepped out of the wall. "Caught me." The cat looked at him carefully, obviously recognizing him as an Akatsuki. "What do you want?"

"**How long did you know I was following you?**" Her reaction the second voice was to only widen her eyes a little. "Only a few minutes ago. Your aura was well hidden, but you slipped up a bit." Zetsu smirked. "That so? Well in answer to your question, I'm stalking you. **It's what happens when you're bored.**" The cat turned back slightly to continue its walk. "Then I'll ask you nicely not to. I'm trying not to attract attention to myself." Zetsu nodded in understanding. They both had to maintain their status of "invisible to the world." Zetsu was about to faze back into the wall when he remembered. "Oh right, I almost forgot, I have another reason to stalk you." The cat didn't move. "**You may find this hard to believe, but as a whole, our kind is willing to help you Ryoka.**" The cat's eyes widened. "…Why?"

"If for no other reason than that we're bored and want some action. **That, and we aren't particularly fond of the Shinigami for taking us from our home, and your group will help us by making a cover for us to move around. **If you don't trust us, that's understandable. After all Deidara attacked you early on. But believe me when I say that it was for your own safety. Think about it, what would have happened if Deidara hadn't offered to fight you. It would have been Ichimaru-san who would have fought you, **and you'd all be dead.**"

The cat knew that the plant-man was right. She knew that those bombs were low powered, and she assumed it was from a power limit on them. But now, she could also see a deliberate effort to down-power them was also possible, and this man's explanation made sense too. "If that's the case, then we can call you friends? Even the Akatsuki?"

The white half of Zetsu smiled happily. "You know of us? I see word travels fast. Yes, even the Akatsuki may be considered friendly. I was sent to spread the word to you Ryoka**. The girl and the glasses guy** **already know, and now you do. My next job is for the Mexican and the other two.**"

The cat watched as the man walked to the wall, but before he phased into it she said suddenly, "Tell them that Shihōin Yoruichi said it was all right. Or else they might attack you and your kind."

The figure turned enough so she could see his two-colored face from around his Venus flytrap appendages. "Thanks. Oh, and my name's Zetsu. Since you introduced yourself, it would be impolite of me to not do the same." He turned again and phased into the wall but stopped half way, remaining motionless.

"What is it?" Yoruichi questioned. He remained silent for a moment more before he spoke, without turning to her. "**For what reason would Shinigami fight each other?**" Yoruichi was caught off guard by this question. She thought about it for a moment before replying. "There are many reasons. I would think because they were slacking off and needed to be punished. Why? Are you going to set them up?" Zetsu stood silent again. "No, it's just that one of the captains is fighting a Shinigami. He seems pretty strong too. The Shinigami, I mean."

Yoruichi started at those words. "What does he look like?" Again silence for a moment. "**Orange hair, five-and-a-half-foot zanpakutō, strong reiatsu. **Why, you know him?"

Yoruichi nodded hastily. "His name is Kurosaki Ichigo. He is the one who suggested we rescue Rukia." Zetsu finished phasing in at once, and even though he couldn't be seen he could be heard as he traveled away. "From the feel of things, the fight won't end so well for Ichigo. **If you want to save him, he's toward the east, I'm sure you can find him easily.**" The voice stopped and Yoruichi was left alone.

She sensed around and understood the situation. Ichigo was fighting, of all people, Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division. "Why, of all people, did it have to be him?" She shunpo-ed across the rooftops drawing no attention, and she could sense Ichigo more clearly. It seemed to vanish for a moment before it blasted back up. At one point Zaraki's reiatsu soared, and she could feel the two energies mix and clash in a final explosion. She could feel it through the ground and see in the distance as buildings came crashing down. By the time she got there, Ichigo was wounded heavily and she could sense Zaraki up higher on one of the building roofs. Both of them were extremely damaged as far as she could tell.

She approached Ichigo's near lifeless body, avoiding the massive amounts of blood from both fighters spilled so massively on the ground. "I'm sorry for being late Ichigo. You got beat up pretty good too, though your opponent was Kenpachi so it can't be helped. You did very well to tie with him. Don't worry, Ichigo. I won't let you die." With that energy began to encircle her as she transformed.

* * *

Ichigo woke up to a wooden roof. _'Huh? I'm not dead?'_ He looked over a s black form entered the side of his vision. "Looks like your awake."

"Yoruichi-san. Your still ok, that's a relief." The cat began pacing around him. "And in better shape than you." Ichigo smiled at the black cat. "Ah, did you save me? Thank for that."

"You should thank your stubbornness that kept you alive even with those wounds." Ichigo thought for a moment before answering. "Injuries? Oh yeah, I guess I took a few hits- That's right!" He sat up quickly, having remembered Chad's diminishing spiritual energy while he was fighting Kenpachi. But as he sat up, the wound in his side opened and blood seeped out onto the cloth bandages. "Idiot! You can't get up yet! Don't you realize how bad your injuries are? What were you thinking?!"

Undaunted, he continued to try and move. "Chad, he's in danger, I need to rescue him!" Of course, this earned him a pounce to the eyes by the talking cat, forcing him to lie back down again. "Chill. Sado is fine, as are Ishida and Orihime. Sado was lucky to fight the person he did, so even though he's injured, he's still alive. Ishida and Orihime have avoided confrontations as best they can and are mostly uninjured. Those New Souls helped them out too."

Ichigo looked blankly at her. "New… Souls?" Yoruichi was about to reprimand him for not remembering, but then she realized he really didn't know. "Ah, that's right. You were practicing reiatsu control with Ganju. While you were doing that, we talked to Kukaku about recent goings on in Soul Society. Apparently, a group of souls from another world from your own have been brought here, apparently against their will. However, with about two dozen of them in the city, a few of them found Ishida and Orihime and rescued them from another Shinigami. Among these New Souls is a ten man organization called Akatsuki. While in life they were a criminal organization bent on world peace through world destruction, they appear quite willing to help us. The others, who are not in their group, have also agreed to help us. In fact, I think one of them is a Shinigami himself. If memory serves well, his name was Momochi Zabuza."

Ichigo's eyes widened in remembrance of that very man. "Momochi Zabuza? That guy was the one who watched as I battled Ikkaku, and took him away when I won." Yoruichi sighed. "I see, so they had either already decided to help us that long ago, or he was following orders, which is hard to believe, considering the Shinigami focus on a stab first, ask questions later policy. Anyway, just stay there until you heal. A half dead man won't be able to help anyone. Also, half of your possession got smashed, though if it weren't for it, you would have been bisected for sure. I was actually surprised you would carry this thing around."

Ichigo looked at the item in question with surprise. "I had that thing… on me?" The object was a white mask with four red striped on it, three above the eyes and one below. The teeth were sharp and the nose was a ridge that went down to the mouth. "You mean you didn't know you had it on you?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nope. It actually saved me when I was fighting Renji, and I wanted to keep it as a lucky charm. But Hanatarō said I should get rid of it, so I threw it away in the sewers." These words brought a startled face from Yoruichi, though it went unnoticed by Ichigo as he reached over for the mask. "Still, I don't know how it got back to me. I was sure I threw it away."

"Wait, I'll take it for safekeeping." Yoruichi told Ichigo. "What? Why? I want to keep it." Yoruichi put on a scary face and glared at him intensely. "Give it to me now. End of discussion." Ichigo merely handed it back to her, scared out his wits. "R-right, here, please take it… That scary face was uncalled for, all you had to do was ask for it…" the cat wasn't paying attention to him though. It was thinking about the mask and its omens. _'…That's probably not possible, but I'd better keep an eye out for it anyway.'_

She was shaken from her thoughts by Ichigo's speech. "Man, you sure are strong Yoruichi-san." The cat turned to him and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Running around without getting hurt at all, and then carrying me here with such a small body."

"Oh, that's no problem once I return to my original form." Ichigo acted as if he understood. "Ah, I see, your original…" until he realized he didn't. "Original… form?"

"Oh, that's right. I haven't shown any of you guys. All right, I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore. I'll show you, my true form." Ichigo stared on in wonder as energy began to envelop the cat. The fur receded into the skin and the body became larger, considerably. The skin became dark and the hair on the head took on a deep purple tint. But what the complete transformation revealed startled Ichigo totally. There before him was a beautiful woman. She had dark skin, long flowing purple hair, and not a shred of clothing on her body. Ichigo was speechless as he simply stuttered, trying to find words for this situation. He had none.

"Heh, you look surprised. I can understand why, you probably thought I was a guy from the way I talk." He crossed her arms over her ample breasts, covering her nipples in the process. She wore a sarcastic smirk on her face as she watched Ichigo grow as red as his name implies. "Your face is turning all red too. Heh, I really love turning into my real form. Everyone gets so surprised."

She walked over to Ichigo's frozen form and sat down in an Indian style position, but not quite. She held her legs looser and only crossed her ankles, thus exposing her second pair of lips to Ichigo's already fumbling brain. "Now, I'll tell you how I got you here." She picked up a short staff like device with an odd head and partially wrapped in a brown cloth. "I used this device to -"

"CLOTHS!!! PUT ON SOME FREAKIN' CLOTHS!!!!"

After some teasing on Yoruichi's part she finally conceded and put on a more presentable and battle ready outfit. After an explanation of the device, Ichigo held it in his hands. "Why would you have a device like this, Yoruichi-san? You can shape shift, you can cure wounds, and you have something like this. Yoruichi-san, what are you?"

Before she could answer a surge of reiatsu could clearly be felt by both of them. Ichigo recognized it as _his_ reiatsu, and an image of Kuchiki Byakuya flashed in his mind.

* * *

Ganju and Byakuya stand on opposite ends of the bridge leading to the entrance of the Shrine. Rukia and Hanatarō stand nearby but behind him. "I felt some faint reiatsu heading toward the Shrine of Penitence. I thought it was someone strong holding back his power, but now I see it was only a big fat insect. How dull…" Rukia shouted out for Ganju to run, but was quickly silenced as she felt the power of her adopted older brother for what felt like the first time. Being inside the Sekiseki walls caused her immunity, as well as control of reiatsu to diminish almost entirely.

While Hanatarō did his best to consol her to allow Ganju to get them out of the situation, Ganju himself mentally expressed how taxing it was for him to even stand in this pressure. _'Chh, just standing here is difficult. The difference in strengths is obvious, so simple tricks won't work. I'll have to gamble my life on this!' _With that he drew his own zanpakutō and charged forward.

(The sword he has is a zanpakutō, but most likely one without a spirit, like the one Zangetsu gave Ichigo when he fought his Hollow side.)

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two spheres and prepared to throw them at the captain. "Eat Chitami-!" His words were cut short as the stoic male disappeared and reappeared behind him. "Be gone. My sword was not made to kill pests like you." Even as he spoke, a gash opened up on Ganju's left arm, the one that held the bombs he was about to throw. They fell out of his hand and bounced away. He screamed in pain as Byakuya ignored him and focused intently on both Rukia and Hanatarō.

"Ho, hold it right there!" Ganju yelled at him, his left arm hanging loosely at his side, a smirk on his face. "Are you deaf? I told you to leave." Shiba ignored Byakuya's reprimand. "Blah, blah, blah! You're too noisy! I don't know how it is with you nobles, but a coward that could be scared away with that doesn't exist in the Shiba family!!"

Byakuya was more intrigued than intimidated. "Shiba? You're from the Shiba family? Then I'm sorry I didn't hit you hard enough. I'll make sure you don't walk away from this alive." Ganju raised an eyebrow as the black haired man drew his sword, holding it parallel to his body. "What are you trying to do from so far away?" Rukia screamed out to her brother. "Don't do it! Nii-sama!!"

Her calls went unheard. "**Scatter, Senbonzakura.**" The blade seemed to separate and fall apart into pink leaves, all swirling about. Ganju couldn't comprehend what happened. "What the…? The blade disappeared." Rukia shouted at him, knowing what was going to happen. "RUN!!!" Before anything could be done, the petals closed in at an impossible speed.

Inching closer by the millisecond, the pink senbon blades were only a mere foot away from Ganju's flesh…

And soon found themselves repulsed. Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise as he could clearly see them be forced away from the Shiba clan member by an unseen force. The other three on the bridge weren't skilled enough to see the speed at which they moved, so to them, it just looked like the blades disappeared only to reappear far from their destination; Ganju.

Byakuya was too stunned to move. _'What happened? It couldn't be him. He's still in shock. It wasn't Rukia or the boy… What could have caused this?'_ His question was soon answered, from behind him. "Do you like killing weaklings?" A spike of reiatsu rose from behind him, the owner of which he could not detect from sense alone. He turned his head ever so slowly to regard the intruder. He saw that he wore the customary Akatsuki cloak, but the real feature that dominated this figure was his facial piercings; six piercings and a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of his upper nose and one spike stud on each end of his bottom lip. His eyes were grey with a hint of purple in them, and they had a ripple effect on them.

Rukia though, immediately recognized him as the person who was with the blond haired teen that had visited her cell recently. Byakuya gazed at him coldly, neither of them flinching from the other's stare. "Why are you interfering?"

The orange haired man didn't say a thing, so Byakuya rephrased his question. "Who are you?" This time the answer came. "Pain." Byakuya wasn't sure whether to take it as an insult or reality. "Is that so?"

Pain shrugged off the comment and walked past him to Ganju. Ganju had actually taken all of the information in. "Y-you're an Akatsuki… Aren't you?" Pain nodded. "Don't worry; you won't be hurt as long as I'm here." He looked over his shoulder at the Kuchiki.

Byakuya narrowed his gaze at him. "I wonder if you can back that up. If you don't move, I will have no choice but to consider you hostile."

Pain answered by seemingly ignoring the threat directed at him. "Your Shikai seems to turn your zanpakutō into, judging by the name, one-thousand senbon blades that take the form of cherry blossoms. The speed of these blades, while invisible to these underpowered Ryoka, turn-coat Shinigami and Shinigami 'convict', are quite visible to me. If you choose to attack me, you won't be able to even touch me."

Byakuya brought his zanpakutō hilt back and swung. "It looks like I have no choice." The blades neared Pain, coming closer and closer until they, like before, were repelled from him by an unseen force. This time, the force of the repulsion was so great, it blasted away all accept Pain himself and Byakuya, though Byakuya could feel the pressure of the energy bearing down on him. The railings on the sides of the bridge broke and shattered as the senbon blades whirled about attempting to reform their original positions.

Byakuya swung his hilt again as fast as he could. This time Pain disappeared from both sight and sense. The petals crashed on empty ground. Alerted to the presence behind him by the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, he whirled and swung again, the blades forming a small ball of pink as it veered toward the Akatsuki. They got closer and closer until, just before impact they were knocked away, by an even greater gale of energy. They flew back and almost hit Byakuya himself as they passed by. As his vision cleared of pink petals he was aware of the man almost on top of him, a black sword in his hand.

Pain thrust forward said blade and nearly nicked Byakuya were it not for the captain shunpo-ing out of the way, backwards to gain some room. Pain didn't even look winded. Neither did Byakuya for that matter. "It seems you meant that quite literally. You appear to use raw energy as a blast wave, capable of defending against an attack like mine. Too bad though. You may be able to defend against my senbon blades…" He swung again, the blades swirling around Pain and closing in. Again, as they were about to him, they were batted away. But as the petals cleared from Pain's vision he saw the captain's extended left index finger pointed at him.

"**Hado no. 4: Byakurai.**"

A burst of lightning erupted from that finger speeding toward Pain. But the lightning seemed to reflect off of that field of energy again and seemed to dissipate into the surrounding air, electrifying the atmosphere with static energy. The very hairs on Hanatarō's skin stood on end from the energy. Even as it fizzled out, Pain disappeared only to reappear in front of Byakuya, thrusting his black sword at him. Byakuya had to shunpo backwards to avoid being hit. As soon as he stopped moving, Pain was on him again, continuously stabbing his sword at the captain. Finally Byakuya had to stop dodging and recalled the senbon blades to return to his hilt, at which point he was able to hold his ground and deflect pain's strikes. Pushing away from a deadlock, they both slid to a stop on their respective ends of the bridge. _'He's fast. He isn't using shunpo, but it seems to rival it in speed.'_

Byakuya held his blade by his side. "You seem to be able to use that deflecting attack indefinitely. But it doesn't seem to be able to do much offensively. That's why you use it to create openings in my attack pattern and jump in to attack me with your sword. While a good strategy, as long as I stay out of your reach, you can't win."

Pain replied impassively, "I used to have a weakness in that ability; there was a five second interval between uses. But now that reiatsu is its medium instead of chakra, that time limit is virtually non-existent. But, what makes you think that is my only technique?"

Pain raised his left hand out toward Byakuya, preparing to attack. Byakuya felt a sudden pull on his body, and before he knew it was barreling toward the Akatsuki leader, who had his arm poised to stab the captain once in range. Releasing his Shikai again he blasted the pink blades ahead of him to shred the orange haired man.

Just before the both the pink blades reached Pain, and the black blade reached Byakuya, Pain was forced to shove the attack, and the captain away from him to protect himself. Byakuya did a complete back flip before sliding to a stop.

"You made me choose between hurting both of us and canceling out both attacks. I suppose, if this is the level of a captain, then I severely overestimated you. Your decent, but your also nothing special."

Byakuya scoffed at him. "It sounds like you think you are capable of fighting on par with a captain. Don't be so over-confident. Not in a thousand years could someone like you fight a captain. But I'll congratulate you; you are going to be privileged with seeing my real strength."

He extended his hand and held Senbonzakura upside-down in front of him. Rukia shouted as loudly as she could. "Nii-sama, don't! Nii-sama!!" Thankfully, she was heard by none other than her own captain who appeared and gripped Byakuya's sword bearing hand, keeping it from moving.

"Ho ho! That was scary! I think that's enough. Don't you agree, Kuchiki-taicho?"

Byakuya glared daggers at the white haired man. "What is the meaning of this?" Ukitake scowled at him. "Oi oi, that's my line. Releasing your zanpakutō in a place like this is a first class offence, even if you are fighting the Ryoka. What were you thinking?"

"It's a wartime situation; the ban on releasing your zanpakutō was lifted."

Ukitake was startled. "War time situation? How can an invasion of a few Ryoka become that serious?! Is this related to the murder of Aizen?" Neither could have anticipated what would come. An intense stream of reiatsu blanketed the area. Even Pain could sense the potential that power had. Their questions; "What's happening? Whose reiatsu is this? Where is it coming from?" were all answered by the blur in the sky that shot upward from the side of the bridge. Ichigo landed in front of Rukia, ignored her for the moment as he moved on the Hanatarō, Ganju, but then moved back to her. After expressing his desire to save her, she seemed lost.

"I-I told you not to come here. I won't forgive you, Ichigo…" She said this with a mix of emotions flowing through her heart. She couldn't tell whether she should be happy, sad, or angry. She was on the verge of tears and it showed in her voice, as it started to break as she spoke those final words. Ichigo just smirked. "You can get angry at me later, after I beat him."

His gaze was directed directly at the black haired captain, who seemed to hold him in no more regard than an insect. "I-Ichigo…" Ichigo looked back and gave Rukia a blank face. "What? You're not going to tell me to run are you? Well that aint happenin'. I came a long way to get here. No matter how you say it, I'm gonna drag you outta here even if your kicking and screamin'. From now on all your opinions are rejected!" He pointed a finger at her and gave her a comical, yet still determined face. Her eye twitched…

"What's that supposed to mean?! You don't ignore the opinions of the rescuee! What kind of rescue attempt is this?!!"

While they argued. Pain chuckled slightly and stalked back to the Ryoka group. "Oi, if you have time to argue, you have time to escape." Ichigo and Rukia broke their argument to regard the fellow orange hair. Pain looked at Ichigo. "You must be Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm not your enemy. You run, I can hold him off." Ichigo blanked for a moment before he smirked. "Heh, thanks, but I swore to fight this guy, so that's that. Sorry, but you take Rukia and get away from here."

Pain cocked his head slightly. "No can do. No other members are in the area, and I can't allow you to fight him alone."

While they were bantering, Ukitake was stunned to see Ichigo, or at least the man that Ichigo reminded him of. "Kuchiki… Who is that man?" Byakuya looked back at him coldly. "No one. There is no relation to him and the man that flashed through your mind just now. He's just a Ryoka, which I will destroy." He raised his sword to his face. "Scatter…" As the words we already forming in his mind, a white wrapping seemed to float through the air and curl around his sword, effectively negating its release. Ukitake's, and surprisingly Byakuya's eyes as well, opened wide in surprise.

"You! Yoruichi!!" Ichigo was surprised to see her. She was holding the other end of the cloth and stood behind and slightly to the side of the Sixth Division captain's position.

"Ex-commander of the Special Forces, and former captain of the Second Division: Shihōin Yoruichi." Byakuya stated mater-of-factly. He swung his blade to free it of its containment and cut the cloth wrap. "I haven't seen your face in a while. It's been a hundred years since you disappeared. Everyone thought you were dead."

The woman in question turned to look at Ichigo, who questioned her. "Yoruichi-san… Did you come here to save me? Thanks, but please move. I have to beat him." She looked at him blankly.

"'Defeat him?' By yourself? Idiot…" No one was prepared for Yoruichi to shunpo in and stab Ichigo in his wound with her hand. "What are you doing… Yoru..ichi…?" Ichigo seemed to freeze. He stood for a moment before toppling over onto Yoruichi's shoulder. Ukitake recognized what she had done.

"It's a drug, isn't it? You're trying to save him, Yoruichi." She looked at him briefly. "…Ukitake…"

"Did you think that I would allow it, Yoruichi? No, you won't be able to leave to easily." Yoruichi seemed to find that amusing. She smiled at him and laughed. "You sure talk big, little Byakuya. I don't recall you ever beating me in tag."

"…Should we try again?" Both of them blurred out of existence. Appearing behind where Byakuya reappeared, he swung backwards to catch her, but she vanished again to the opposite end of the bridge, but as soon as she touched down, Byakuya was already there. Before she could react, his sword slashed through her chest. "You think you can beat me with that level of shunpo?"

He was unprepared for the falling body to turn into a piece of orange cloth, or for Yoruichi to appear on his arm, still holding Ichigo. "You think you can catch me with that level of shunpo?"

In an instant she was on the roof behind him. "Three days. In three day's I will make him stronger than you. Until then, your fight is postponed. You can try to follow me, but Shunshin Yoruichi has never been rivaled." With that she vanished from Byakuya's sight.

"…They got away…" He suddenly began walking away. Ukitake was surprised by this though. "O-oi! Where are you going Byakuya? What about the others? Aren't they the reason you came here?"

"I've lost interest. Do what you want with them." He said as he rounded a corner and was out of sight.

Ukitake didn't exactly like Byakuya's attitude though, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it, unfortunately. "Geez, always doing whatever whenever he wants…"

Rukia sighed in relief, but as soon as she did she felt exhausted. So much so she could barely stand and tripped over from her own weight. She was caught however, when the orange haired man, Pain, caught her in his arms and gently lowered her to the floor to lay her on her back. Ukitake couldn't blame her for feeling the after affects of Byakuya's reiatsu.

However, he was more worried about the orange man in question. He hadn't spoken or moved since Yoruichi appeared, even when the others were threatened. If he ended up having to fight this man… _'Better play it friendly.'_

He smiled as he approached him. When the man didn't respond to his being so close, he kneeled down to examine Rukia's panting body. "She's suffering from over exposure to high level reiatsu. Basically, she's not used to it-"

"I know what that means. The Sekiseki stone eats at your reiatsu, and prolonged periods within its confines allows for deterioration of one's resistance to it, as well as one's own reiatsu capacity." Ukitake looked at him, surprised. But he grinned and nodded. "I must say, I've never seen you before. Are you one of the Akatsuki?"

Pain nodded. "That should be obvious." Ukitake sighed. _'Not exactly the friendly type I guess. But then, the Akatsuki are criminals, if formerly.'_

"Well, I hate to say this, but we need to take you in for questioning, as well as the Ryoka and Shinigami." He held his breath to see how he would react. He knew that it was most likely in vain. After all, it almost never works, but it expresses a sense of chivalry and understanding to both sides if they do agree. But that won't happen…

"I can understand why. Aizen's death has most likely pointed to the drifters as the culprits, but we aren't out of the question either. Unfortunately, I'm off the market, but you can do what you like with the others. You seem like a good man; they will be safer in a cell than in a fight."

Ukitake blinked. _'It worked! Well half way at least, but still…'_ he sighed and smiled as he looked up at the sky. "We'll, in my current condition, there really isn't anything I could have done to stop you as you overpowered me and vanished."

For the first time, Ukitake saw Pain smile. "Arigato Ukitake-san." With that, he did vanish. Ukitake noted that it wasn't shunpo, but an analog to it, with nearly the same performance capability. _'There's so much we don't know about these New Souls… I can only wonder what their true motives are.'_ He looked back over at Ganju but saw him unconscious on the floor. 'How'd that happen? Well, it makes my job a little easier.'

He called out for his Third seats and both of them appeared, rather predictably. Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu both jumped over the railing and kneeled in front of their captain. After a few awkward moments, mostly for Ukitake himself, he finally got them to do as they were told. Kiyone escorted Hanatarō to the cell blocks, while Sentarō carried Rukia back to her cell, and then proceeded to carry Ganju to the cell blocks as well.

Ukitake sighed. There was trouble brewing, but he had to be thankful to that Pain. He had defended the movement to free his subordinate, and he couldn't let that go unrewarded, and right now, letting him go was the best he could do.

* * *

Karin had left with Suigetsu back to their apartment, being careful to clean off the stench and smear of blood that seemed to cling to Suigetsu's sword and cloths before they entered a crowded area. Naruto had told Hinata he needed to get the other two started on their infiltration, and he told her to go on back to their room. She obliged and walked through the small alleyways back toward the Seventh division's barracks. She knew where she was going, obviously, since the Byakugan could see the road ahead. Naruto was thankful for that, since it always saved him the embarrassment of having to ask for directions, but with Naruto absent, Hinata seemed less peppy than usual. When Naruto wasn't around, she seemed to deflate and be less social and less energetic.

Eventually she ran into a group of Shinigami youths laughing together. When they saw her, some of them wolf-whistled at her and others blushed at her beauty. This in turn caused her to blush and she smiled at them. "Oi, miss! Your one of those new Souls right?" She wasn't surprised by the question; they had all gotten that question before.

"Mhm. My name's Namikaze Hinata, pleased to meet you." As soon as she said that they surrounded her and seemed to be fascinated by her. This was slightly uncomfortable for her, but the youth who spoke smiled kindly at her. "My name's Jusho, pleasure to meet you. Don't mind them; they had just heard rumors that you were all deadly assassins. We didn't expect someone like you."

Hinata smiled and laughed slightly. Jusho asked her after a moment, "Ano, are you lost by any chance? We can take you where you need to go if you want." She smiled and shook her head. "No, despite my appearance, I'm not blind. Quite the opposite, I can tell exactly where I'm going, and I have a good memory. But thanks anyway." Jusho smiled and waved, "Take care then!"

She smiled and turned to leave. But as she did so, her shinobi reflexes kicked in and she spun to defend herself, but was too slow. She was hit in the side of the head with a metal pole and she crumpled to the ground. Still slightly conscious, she looked up at the group of men standing over her. Jusho frowned and muttered an "I'm sorry" before he hit her again, knocking her out completely.

* * *

Her head hurt. It throbbed and throbbed. It felt like there were twenty pound weights sitting on it, and they weren't coming off. Her first reaction was to try and move, but she found her hands and feet wouldn't answer her. She struggled a bit more. She soon noticed that there were restraints holding her down. He vision cleared from their blurry state, she observed herself in a dark room, and the only light was from a head lamp above her, shining down on her. She looked down at herself and saw that she had been stripped of every article of clothing, and that she lay on a type of examination table.

She tried to use her Byakugan to see around her, but strength didn't flow to her like it should have. It just seemed to weaken her even more. She became progressively afraid and tried to break the shackles with sheer strength, to no avail. She was suddenly aware of a presence beside her. She began to sweat as she saw his face. He had been one of the more terrifying Shinigami she had seen during her stay here. His black and white face paint made him seem inhuman. He looked down on her with a grin on his face. "Ho? Looks like the little experiment is awake." She put on her best face and glared at him.

"Where am I?"She asked.

"In the Research and Development Bureau. We're going to find out what gives you such tremendous abilities. Now if you don't mind, just relax while you can. I'm afraid the kind of testing we'll be doing on you will be excruciatingly painful, but that can't be helped."

Hinata shivered as she thought of what this man would do. "What kind of testing are your talking about?!"

He smiled even more as he went over to a side table with an assortment of bottles on it. He took out a thick syringe and began filling it with a clear-green jell. "First we have to prepare you for sensory observation, and to do that, I have to repetitively inject you with this." He turned around and revealed the needle. "It's a type of bacteria that monitors every sensory node in the body and transmits it back to a computer for analysis. Unfortunately, when injected they cause terrible pain to the patient, that and the fact that the patient needs to be injected many times before they are ready, means it will take a long time before I will be able to actually begin the testing." He approached the tabled and gripped her arm.

She tried to resist as best she could but his grip was firm. "Don't struggle so much, it will restrict the movement of the bacteria." He took two fingers and stretched her skin to thin it, and he brought the vial down to her pale flesh and pushed it through. The injection didn't hurt her, but as she began sweating with fear she could already feel the gel begin spreading through her arm.

And the pain began.

It started as an annoying prickly sensation, but quickly worked its way up to an agonizing burning. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming out, and she began shaking from the pain.

Seeing that the gel was working, Mayuri turned back to the table and filled up another syringe. He came back over and pushed her chest down, forcing her to lay still. He moved her left breast to the right, thereby stretching the skin again and he injected her just to the right of her right breast. The pain now was so great she couldn't help but moan out loud. He continued this treatment several times; Her lower pelvis, her shoulders, her thighs, the other side of her chest, he hands and her feet. By the last injection, she was screaming in agony. She shook so much the restraints rattled, cutting into her from the force, but they held. She spasmed all over, unable to even think clearly from the pain; just enough to beg him to stop, to yell out in pain, to scream out to Naruto, that he'll find her.

"Please! Please stop! Stop!! Uggh!! IYAAA!!!! Naruto!! Please, someone, anyone, HELP!!"

Mayuri watched with glee as he saw that she was reacting well to the drugs. _'At this rate well be testing by the day after tomorrow!'_ But his thoughts were interrupted. "Mayuri-sama." Mayuri turned to regard his fuku-taicho. "What is it?! Can't you see I'm busy right now?!" Nemu bowed deeply. "My deepest apologies Mayuri-sama, but we have located two Ryoka. Your ordered that we were to inform you of the fact should it occur." Mayuri scoffed and nodded to her and she left. He began to walk out, but he looked back one final time, at Hinata as she writhed on the table, her ankles and wrists bleeding and sweat pouring off of her body. He smiled and left as she let out a long shriek that could crack a window had it not been so diluted with saliva secreting rapidly into her mouth.

Mayuri walked out and the door closed. Leaving Hinata naked, and alone with her pain.

At least, he thought so.

A bulky figure drug himself from the shadows of the room. He trudged up near the table. Hinata's eyes were shut in pain but as soon as she heard the sound of footsteps she turned and quickly recognized who it was.

_'He was right, she was here.'_ The shackles around her limbs shattered abruptly, one by one, sliced clean through.

As soon as the last one had been cut, she instantly curled up into a ball, thrashing wildly from her suffering. She had no clue as to her surroundings, and consequently fell off the table. Fortunately she was caught by the right arm of her savior. Her eyes were doused with tears, but she would recognize Hiruko, Sasori's puppet shell anywhere. She continued to thrash in his arm, she couldn't help it; it hurt so much. She was dimly aware that two more arms wrapped themselves around her and she was consumed by darkness.

Sasori quickly pulled her into Hiruko and closed up the puppet. He examined her thoroughly. Having watched as Mayuri preformed his experiments, he had been able to create and anti-drug that would negate most of the common drugs found in the RDI. He rummaged around in his pack until he found a specific scroll. He pulled it out and summoned a small syringe.

He injected her quickly in the neck. "Bear with it a bit more, the pain will subside." He attempted to sooth her as she began to thrash less. She could feel the throbbing in her head slowly disappear. After ten minutes, she was able to bear the pain enough to speak clearly. "S-sas…sori…" Sasori smiled. Despite the darkness there was some light from a glowing lamp beside them.

"It's all right Hinata. It's me. Mayuri's gone, and the bacteria in your body are dying." Please, just rest for now, and don't worry, were already on our way to find Naruto." Hinata coughed and lay back down beside him. She shivered. She could feel the two drugs within her battling for supremacy, and thankfully, Sasori's was winning.

Sasori watched as she closed her eyes an attempted to rest. When she shivered, he was reminded she was still naked, so he reached into his pack and pulled out a separate scroll and summoned a spare Akatsuki cloak. It was all he had in the way of cloths. He draped it over her and she soon fell asleep, her body struggling to heal itself.

_'It's too bad that I don't have healing drugs.'_ Sasori thought. He had to direct his attention to the outside of Hiruko. He had been walking down the halls of the RDI the entire time, and thanks to Hiruko's bulk, he had been able to carry both himself and Hinata inside without detection. But now at the entrance he met with resistance, if he could call it that.

"Hey! Who said you could leave?! Kurotsuchi-taicho gave you orders to stay here, and we're to keep you here until he gets back." Both guards drew their Zanpakutō and leveled them at the wooden puppet. Sasori glared at them through Hiruko. "Mayuri has no authority over me. It's my choice to respect his wishes or not. Now move or I'll kill you both."

He shuffled along between both guards, who seemed to freeze under the killing intent they felt. _'Tch, Damn guards think they can do anything. Damn Shinigami. Just because they command others of their own kind here, doesn't mean they can command us.'_ He looked down at the slumbering Hinata and realized the bitter truth.

_'This aggression on her could be considered an act of war on us… Naruto won't rest until she's avenged, and the Shinigami will most likely believe the sadistic bitch.'_

He took one more look at the flabbergasted guards and shrugged. "Might as well…" The guards were surprised for only a moment before both of them were left in pieces leaning against the wall of the cold dark hallway, their blood pooling on the floor.

* * *

Naruto… Words couldn't express how pissed he was. Even the word "pissed" couldn't describe how "pissed" he was. When he Hinata hadn't returned home He had Karin try and look for her, but with no luck. That was when he got very worried. Karin could find anyone, even if they were dead, so to not be able to find someone that should have been easily identifiable, was disturbing. After that, they had split up into groups; Karin had called Juugo and told him about the situation. Juugo in turn told Sasuke, and he contacted Zetsu and told him to inform the Akatsuki. Naruto later found out about that, much to his displeasure. He didn't like most of the Akatsuki, though some were tolerable, and some were friendly, on a whole though, Naruto hated them. Pain and Itachi were the only real friends he had on Akatsuki. Sasori and Deidara were still on the edge; he could get along with them, but he kept his distance.

Naruto had left a warning to Orochimaru though, that if he so much as thought of her in an unpleasing way, Naruto would cut him up into snake alamode. Since then, they had been scouring the whole of Seireitei looking for her, for a brief moment they thought they had found her, but the signal disappeared as soon as it flared. Naruto didn't stop for anyone; when he asked his questions, he got his answers, though they were all negative.

"Sorry, haven't seen her."

"You might want to try the Sixth division."

"Hey your one of the new guys!"

Naruto had no patience for any of them and continued on through the winding corridors searching for Hinata. After almost 5 hours of searching, He got a message from Karin telling him to meet the group at a secluded spot behind the Shinigami mountain fortress. It was rare for him to use **Hiraishin** at anytime, since he was naturally faster than most Shunshin users due to his mastery of wind manipulation, but when it came down to loved ones missing in a strange and unfamiliar world, Naruto had absolutely no patience.

He leaped into the air, and suddenly his body seemed to disintegrate; dragged into the vortex mere inches in front of him. Then his whole body had made it through, and he looked and saw everyone was already there; Kakuzu, Hidan, Itachi, Orochimaru, Kisame, Suigetsu, Karin, and surprisingly, Zabuza and Haku. None of them were surprised to see him there so fast, nor did they act comical in any way. Each had a serious look on their face; they knew how serious this was. "So? Did you find her yet?" His voice was stern, commanding, and nearly hateful, but not quite.

Karin faced him. "Yes. Pain had each of the Akatsuki go on surveillance in their own sectors. Seeing as each of them had been assigned to different divisions-"

"I don't care about how he did it! Where is she?!" Karin huffed in annoyance, but her face softened. "She was in the Twelfth division. Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the captain had been… _experimenting_ on her." She gulped as she said the word, and turned her head away from her blond friend. Had she been watching him, as everyone else was, she would have seen his eyes grow red and his pupils slit. "What _kind_ of, experimenting, did he do?" He asked, his voice dripping with unreleased anger. "We don't know, Sasori found her, and immediately contacted me. Deidara, Zetsu, even Pain and Konan are coming. Sasori said he'd hurry."

As if on cue, all but Sasori showed up. Deva Pain and Konan walked from the alleyway's shadows, Zetsu stepped out of a wall, and Deidara glided down on a small bird, riding it like a skate board until it poofed out of existence, allowing him to land on the ground a little ahead of the others. "So? Fill us in Leader. Why are we all here?" Deidara crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. The only light came from a lantern off to the side, casting black silhouettes on the walls and ground. The orange light illuminated only enough for everyone to make out who each other was.

"Sasuke and Juugo are coming, but Sasuke had to pick someone up first. He already knows though, so I guess it's safe to continue." Deidara stayed silent, waiting. "With the capture, and thankfully retrieval of Namikaze Hinata, we are now at war with the Shinigami. A threat to one is a threat to all. The only reason they got her was because she was more trusting than the rest of us. She just doesn't have that air of dread or superiority that we do, and so she was believed weaker and an easy target."

Naruto growled low, his vocal cords shifting between beast and human configuration. "It's also possible she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. But either way, we are all here because this involves all of us. You all need to know this."

Suigetsu maintained his concerned face, smiles gone. "What about you, senpai? You're a legit Shinigami, but your also one of us. How will you handle this?" Everyone looked at Zabuza. After a moment he sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I won't betray you, that's for sure, but fighting my fellow Shinigami… Some of them are even my friends."

Naruto grabbed Zabuza's shoulder and gripped him. "Zabuza, they _experimented_ on my _wife!_" His voice about cracked when he said "wife", but he was able to hold it together for now. Zabuza sighed again. He glanced over at Haku who said, "I'm as divided as you are."

Zabuza groaned slightly. But when he looked back at Naruto's face, he furrowed his brow. "I'll fight with you, but I won't fight anyone from the Eleventh division, seated members aside. As a fellow seated member, they look up to me, and when they see me fighting their comrades, what will they do? I cannot break them that way. But I will fight any of the seated members along with my captain should the need arise."

Naruto immediately softened and thanked him. Pain continued. "And the rest of you?" Suigetsu looked up from his position. He had been sitting on a pile sacks stacked every which way and was reclining against a large crate behind them, his sword leaning on it.

"If we don't all unite, they'll pick us off one by one until we all end up in like Hinata; lab rats." Suigetsu knew saying that would arouse Naruto's anger, and he had actually hoped for it. Karin nodded her agreement, and the rest of Akatsuki consented to it.

Truth be told, even though they still had their grudges, they were all coming together as a family, each looking out for the other, even if they don't get along.

Juugo landed beside the group soon followed by Sasuke, and Sakura! Naruto was momentarily shocked. "S-Sakura? When did you get here?" She sighed and grinned. "Sasuke had Zetsu bring me here. That was a few days ago. Didn't he or Karin tell you?" Naruto looked at Karin who shrugged. Sasuke "hmph"ed and also shrugged. "You know now." Naruto's eye twitched slightly.

Sasuke then donned his serious expression again. "Why do you think I was late anyway? I had to go pick her up. We don't know all of what's wrong with Hinata, for all we know she's poisoned. Not that I doubt Sasori, but she's way better at antidotes."

Each of them felt the sudden burst of reiatsu as they turned to see a black figure slowly trudge through the shadows toward them. They already knew it was Sasori, but they were still on guard just in case. He slowly crawled into the light. Naruto about went up and smashed him in the face for taking so long, but he restrained himself. "Well? Where is she?!" Hiruko walked up to him and the head fell limp. The shell opened and Sasori stood carrying a bundle in his arms.

He quickly hopped out and Naruto saw a sleeping Hinata with a spare Akatsuki cloak covering her. He quickly grabbed her from Sasori and kneeled down holding her close, tears welling in his eyes. "Oh Hinata, Thank God… Thank God… " He held her to his chest as he cuddled her. "She's just asleep now. I've been around Kurotsuchi enough to know what he does with experiments. Thankfully she was just in the preparation stage."

"What did he do to her?" Naruto asked without looking up. Sasori closed his eyes. "To monitor everything about them during experimentation, Mayuri injects them with a bacterium that constantly sends reports back to a central computer. Unfortunately, it must be injected all over the body and is extremely painful. But just one dose isn't enough. It varies, but the usual dosage is about seven times. We were lucky to have found her so soon; she had just had her first injection not long before. I was able to inject my own drugs into her to negate the bacteria and kill it. She's been asleep since then."

Naruto looked at Hinata's paler than usual face. "She'll be all right… right?" Sasori nodded. "She should be, but Sakura-san should take a look at her just in case." Sakura complied and jogged over, carefully taking Hinata from Naruto's arms.

"Why the cloak?" Naruto asked.

To put it as gently as he could Sasori looked away and said, "Cloths are a hindrance in experimentation." Naruto's eyes widened as he looked, and now saw, that Hinata was clearly without her usual shirt, and her legs were bare. He had been so glad she was safe before that he hadn't really noticed.

He became very angry at this, his hands curled into fists. Sakura heard Sasori and asked the others to look away, knowing how Naruto felt about her. No one was allowed to see her body, girl-friends excluded, but even then, he would prefer them not to, but he couldn't be so demanding of her.

They all complied, with the excepting of Hidan and Deidara who tried to get a glimpse of her body, but one look from Naruto made them cringe, back away and turn around at the same time. Naruto meant it when he said no one could look at her.

Naruto didn't mind Sasori though as much. Sasori was without a body, and nobody meant no hormones. Sasori had complimented Naruto one time for being so lucky to have such a beautiful girl, but while Sasori could recognize beauty, he didn't muddle it with perverted thoughts like all other men do. The end result was that Sasori didn't look at Hinata's body as an object, but simply as a human being. Sasuke was different, but in this situation, he didn't care about him. He trusted Sasuke to keep his eyes and thoughts where they needed to be. Sakura would kill him anyway if he didn't, and he knew it.

Sasori kneeled down and pointed out several areas that still looked infected with the foreign bacteria. Sakura nodded and began to immediately heal those places. To her surprise the bacteria died almost instantly and dissolved into the blood stream. Those that didn't dissolve were eaten by Hinata's antibodies and Sasori's own mixture.

As soon as the swelling where she was injected went down, she began to immediately examine the rest of her. Working her way down from her neck, she checked every part of Hinata's body; her neck, her shoulders, arms, chest, belly, and pelvis. That's as far as she got. As soon as she got there though she gasped, and immediately wished she hadn't. Naruto was at her side in an instant. "What is it?!" Sakura closed her eyes and tried her best to lie. She knew that if she said it then Naruto would rampage, and sure enough, there would be a body count in the morning.

But she couldn't stand his red gaze. He would be able to tell if she lied anyway. She gulped before she continued, slowly. "There-there's slight bruising around the genital region, and her chest also has similar bruising. The bruises are numerous, and they don't just appear on one part of her skin. Also there appears to be some damage to her…" She didn't know how to put this gently. "…her dignity." Without proper instruments, Sakura wouldn't be able to tell to what extent she had been damaged, but the evidence that she had in a way been damaged was clear to her.

And Naruto wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what she meant. His eyes went wide, but his eyebrows remained furrowed. His whiskers now became thick and rough. His hair became ragged and wild. Black claws shot from his finger tips and they curled into scythe like knives (A side effect of the Kyuubi and him fusing from being souls). But almost immediately after, red energy leaked from all over his body, like energy sweat. In an instant two tails had formed, and the third was well on its way.

Kisame also immediately jumped on Naruto to hold him down, despite the burning that the Kyuubi's energy caused. Naruto growled at him as he struggled to stand. Kisame was the physically strongest of the Akatsuki, so even Naruto couldn't break out from his iron grip. Well, he could, but it wasn't easy. **"Let me go! I'm gonna kill them all!!"**

Kisame grunted as he put Naruto into a submission hold while Sasori got up and crouched down in front of the now-prone Naruto. "Exactly. Remember, it was you who said the emotional decision was never the best one."

Naruto grunted in annoyance. **"That doesn't apply if it's the best one at the time!"**

Sasori grabbed him by the hair to look him in the eyes. "Then let me offer a better one. Let me kill Mayuri. You know my abilities. You know how I can make him suffer. If you did it, he'd die in a heartbeat, and he would never experience regret for his actions, now would he?" Naruto stayed silent, but wore a contemplative face. He was considering it, which was a better outcome than what he had predicted. He _had_ thought Naruto would ignore him and barrel through Seireitei looking for him anyway. But that also meant how much he wanted to absolutely destroy Mayuri, if through Sasori.

Pain had no objections to it, so he waited for Naruto's answer. Naruto looked at the ground, and then to Hinata's pale face. She continued to slumber despite the goings on around her.

He continued to look at her for a moment before speaking. **"Sasori, you had better send him to hell, bring him back and kill him again for what he did, you hear me?"** Sasori nodded sympathetically. "Don't worry Naruto, I will."

He turned suddenly, a determined expression on his face. "I'll be off then, Mayuri isn't without his flaws. I know exactly where he'll be." Without waiting for a response, he strode over to Hiruko and sat down within. The puppet closed in around him. Despite Hiruko's build, it Shunshin-ed away, leaving a group of now very angry shinobi. Pain smiled a bit as Konan simply said, "I guess from here on out, we're at war."

* * *

Ishida couldn't move anymore. Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizō had given him a type of paralysis, causing any kind of movement impossible. Orihime had been taken away, at his request, by the Eleventh division guy she had saved. When he had fought Mayuri, he hadn't thought him to be this powerful. His Shikai alone was able to overpower him in a single move, even if his "daughter" had gotten in his way. Now he was beating his daughter in the face for not being able to move, even though it was his fault? What kind of man was he?! He was about to scream out, to tell him to stop, to beat him instead even. But his words fell silent as he saw a bulbous shadow creep up on Mayuri from behind.

"Damn it! You're completely worthless!!" He stomped on her head, beating it to the tiled ground, and was about to do it again before he felt a pair of eyes glaring at him. He turned around to see Sasori standing there. Or was he sitting? He could never tell. Whenever he moved, he never stood or sat, but stayed the same height. The fact that he wore a completely concealing cloak didn't help his annoyance either. "What? Never seen someone beat the face of his own daughter into the ground before?"

Sasori didn't laugh, didn't chuckle, didn't even groan. "I've seen it often actually. I've seen fathers send assassins after their own sons, I've seen men, women and children crushed to a pulp by a sand wave, their blood and guts mixing with the wave, making it a bloody tsunami. I have no quarrel with what you're doing…" Mayuri seemed to ponder the statement for a moment before turning to him, completely forgetting Nemu and Ishida.

"Why did you come? I had asked you to stay in the RDI."

"'Asked' being the key word. I politely refused." Mayuri stared at him blankly for a moment. Why had Sasori left? He had been staying there day and night studying on his own experiments. He had actually been a helpful assistant. He had left enough distractions for him. _Enjoyable_, distractions too, even if said distractions were forced into it; why would he want to leave? "What do you want?"

Sasori threw his hat to the side with his left hand, revealing an eloquently shaved head, with five rows of hair running vertically down his head, with five more curving up and over from the back of his skull. Much like scorpion tails… _'How quant.'_

"What do I want? I _want_…" He looked up as his tail surged forth. "…to see you die!" Mayuri was caught off guard. This, he hadn't expected. Barely dodging the surprise attack, he landed on top of the roof of the adjacent wall. But as soon as he landed and returned his gaze to the plump Akatsuki, the tail had shot after him. He ducked down, and the tail curved around to attack him again. He rolled to the left as the tail dived past him. He leaped into the air and brought down his zanpakutō to cut him in the shoulder, but the tail returned again to attack him. He had to redirect his swing to fend off the motion.

He landed a little off balance and behind Sasori. He hadn't moved an inch. _'What an interesting technique. Just like the last time, he doesn't even have to move to use it. Or perhaps he can't move…'_ He swung his left arm toward him as he defended a stab attack by the tail. From his sleeve went three small spheres. They rolled over to the Akatsuki, and only then did he jump away, dragging his tail with him. He landed with a thump. Mayuri didn't grin, but he didn't frown either.

Sasori looked at his cloak and noticed that a lot of it was on fire. He sighed. "If you're going to play like that then I guess I have no choice." He reached to his left shoulder and pulled the burning cloth off, revealing Hiruko's true form.

It had a large ornate shell in the design of a mask. From the mouth, the tail extended out in segments. His left hand was a dome-capped cylinder with many other cylinders protruding from it. "Come here, you'll make a great addition to my collection."

Mayuri scoffed at him. "I don't see why you're doing this, but I see no reason I can't capture an aggressor for experimentation. You have an interesting body." Sasori didn't bother with a retort. He hastily pulled off his mask to reveal his segmented mouth. He opened it and out shot several kunai knives. Mayuri shunpo-ed out of the way and muttered a few words under his breath and extended his hand, palm out.

"**Hado no. 31: Shakkahō.**" A red blast of condensed flame shot toward Sasori. Right before it hit, he aimed his left arm out and the entire for arm shot outward. He sent his tail to defend his front from the attack. The ball of flame connected and exploded, sending dust and debris every which way.

Mayuri watched with interest as the smoke spread. He wasn't ready for a small missile to shoot from the crater straight toward him. He easily dodged though. And as soon as he did he heard strange, "choking" sounds from behind him, he turned quickly to see the small cylinders on the arm shoot out and split apart, releasing an omni-directional attack at him. He quickly leaped backward surprised. "**Bakudō no. 39: Enkosen!**" A small shield of reiatsu radiated from his outstretched hand, deflecting the senbon launched his direction. He slid back a meter and dissipated the technique. Then from the smoke came the tail, again!

_'This guy is persistent! I suppose it will take a bigger punch to take him down. He's like a walking tank.'_ He raised his zanpakutō in defense and the two weapons clanged as they hit each other, the tail buckling as Mayuri pushed against it. The smoke settled down and he could see the clattering remains of "Sasori".

It's right arm was burned, half his face was scorched off, it was now missing a left arm… The shell had sustained little damage, but the tail had almost been severed. At its midpoint, it seemed to shake terribly. _'Or not.'_

"Give up." Mayuri was startled. The voice speaking was not the voice he had just heard from Sasori. It was younger, and had gone up a few octaves. He pushed harder and threw the tail off, and it severed at its shattered midpoint. "I said give up. Your death will be faster." Mayuri laughed. "I don't see how you can still speak in your condition, but I applaud you for endurance. Even in that condition you still taunt me."

The Hiruko's head cocked to the side. "This 'condition...?' Don't be naïve, captain. One should always prepare himself to face the unexpected." The shell of the puppet lifted. Mayuri was genuinely surprised to see a red haired figure rise from the destroyed machine. He had amber eyes, light red hair, had a scowl on his face and to all eyes appeared as a child! "Who are you? The real Sasori? An imposter?" Sasori smirked. "I guess you could say I'm the real one. That was Hiruko. At one time, he was my favorite, but he was soon replaced, and now, I will show you that favorite of mine." He slid a scroll from his sleeve and held it outward, unraveling it as he did so. It bore the kanji for "three" on it.

Mayuri cocked his head. "I see. That 'Hiruko' was your armor. You hid inside it all this time, deceiving everyone. But I'm actually surprised to see that the Akatsuki let a child into their ranks." Sasori chuckled.

"I only appear as a child. But I don't share the trait of appearances with my fellow comrade. You see, I looked like this when I died."

"All the more reason I'm curious as to your abilities. The Akatsuki, as you have described it, was very selective, having only ten members at a time."

Sasori's face went back to neutral. "If you're so interested, then I'll show you, while I kill you." The scroll glowed purple for a moment before a column of smoke erupted from it. Mayuri had begun to associate such explosions as the summoning of objects from those scrolls.

Orochimaru had done it many times when they worked together. But not matter what he did, he couldn't replicate the ability. He assumed it had to do with not being able to use chakra. But as the smoke cleared Mayuri's eyes widened to see another human floating before Sasori.

He had long black hair with a samurai top-knot and thin narrowed eyes. The rest of his body was hidden by a smoke-grey cloak. "Now then, let's get this started." Sasori threw his arms forward and the puppet surged toward Mayuri. _'Looks like he is under Sasori's control. Oh well, better finish him off.'_

Mayuri charged himself toward the flying machine. He was unprepared for the right arm to unleash a group of giant steel claws from its cloak. "Die!" Mayuri quickly ducked and slashed at the puppet, finding satisfaction as he heard the shredding of… wood? "What the-?"

"Too slow." The left arm of the puppet straightened its fingers and drove its clawed palm toward Mayuri's face while the other arm was blocked by Mayuri's zanpakutō. Mayuri didn't have time to defend and jumped back, earning a slash across the cheek. He landed and touched his cheek, feeling the red liquid trickle out.

"Ok, so you dodged. Don't get ahead of yourself. There's more to this puppet than simple weapons."

Mayuri's eyes narrowed. "Puppet?"

Sasori grinned. "Puppet. See, normally you make a puppet out of wood, fill it with weapons and use it to fight your battles. There were three main reasons I was allowed to join Akatsuki. I don't mind sharing the first two, but as I said, only in your death-throes will you find the answer to your question. Anyway, the first is my extensive spy network. Second, is my ability to create unrivaled puppets. But there's more. I don't just make my puppets out of wood. No, I do something far greater." Sasori smirked as Mayuri listened intently.

"Using human cadavers, I rip out the organs, drain the blood, add a few preservatives, emplace weapons, and _viola!_ I have a brand new marionette! But the best part was that even though it was a puppet, it was a human-puppet, which mean that their chakra systems remained intact, allowing me access to their chakra _and_ jutsu, including jutsu specific to only them or their clan."

Mayuri's eyes were wide. He _had_ to learn how to do that! "But Kurotsuchi, you will die here, at my hands. Perhaps, if he allows it, I will turn you into a puppet as well!" Sasori's eyes were shadowed by his brow, giving him a sinister appearance. He swung his hands again and the Third Kazekage extended his left hand. Sections of the arm began splitting open revealing seals written there on.

"Eat this!" Sasori made a figure movement and out of the seals sprung a tidal wave of arms, each aiming at Mayuri. Mayuri had to shunpo out of the way to not get hit, but the arms followed him, impaling themselves into the ground, when Mayuri had made sure he dodged all of them he smirked. "You're an odd fellow. You attack me and taunt me with threats that have no basis. I have evaded and defended against each of your attacks, minus one. Neither of us is capable of actually winning at this level. That is why; I'm going to have to answer with appropriate force!" He held his zanpakutō out in front of him, angling it across his chest.

"**Bankai!**"

The oddly shaped zanpakutō began to bulge, coming alive and animating into a giant monstrosity. The final result was the body of a giant caterpillar, the golden head of a baby, and a halo with odd tassels hanging from it. Purples mist spewed from its mouth, engulfing both combatants.

"**Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō.**"

Sasori smiled wide. _'Perfect'_ he thought

"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō… A fitting name. But still an unimpressive Bankai." Mayuri grinned as well, his bottom eyelids, lifting, giving him an insane look. "Judge for yourself whether it's unimpressive or not, after you fall! GO!!" Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō surged forward, shooting poison all around Sasori, and charging toward him. Sasori clapped his hands together. "If your intent on crushing me, then I guess I have no choice." As if to counter his comment, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō sprouted a plethora of blades from beneath its neck, just below the head. Not only would it crush him, it would skewer the life out of him. Sasori made no notion of having even noticed the approaching phalanx.

"Now, witness the power of the third Kazekage!" The puppet opened its mouth and a black substance floated out, shifting like sand. Mayuri ignored it and continued his Bankai's charge. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō crashed down upon Sasori and the puppet, creating a small crater in the ground. Mayuri chuckled to himself. "Well, as long as there's a bit of your skin left, I'll be able to find out everything about you." Then he felt it.

His body was going numb. Not only that, but it felt like it was on fire. "What the hell…?" He was even more surprised when he heard Sasori laughing from beneath Konjiki's massive bulk. "It's about time it took effect." Mayuri could feel movement below his Bankai. He ordered it back up, so he could see what happened. What he saw was a black sphere crushed a third of the way into the ground. It began to shift and disperse into the air, revealing Sasori, nonchalantly crossing his arms and grinning.

Mayuri was speechless. "That black substance… what is that?!"

Sasori happily replied, "**Satetsu.**"

"Satetsu…?"

"Yes, **Iron Sand.** The reason this man was chosen to be Kazekage was because he could control magnetic forces at will, including iron sand, allowing him to create any weapon he wished from it. You see where I'm going? I can use his powers as my own. As long as I have the magnetic powers of the Third Kazekage, any and all weapons are useless against me."

Mayuri suddenly lost all feeling in his legs; he toppled like a tree to the ground. "Wh-what is this?!"

Sasori grinned. "I knew from the beginning that your Bankai was exuding a poison gas. Your 'attack' was perfect cover for my own poison gas. With both gases floating around, it would be impossible for you to distinguish it from your own. A subtle attack, one you failed to notice."

Mayuri was furious. How hadn't he thought to sense the anomalies in his own poison cloud? How hadn't his poison worked against Sasori? How hadn't- _'Wait a minute…'_ That was good question. "How is it that you aren't affected by my own poison then? You should be paralyzed!" Sasori grinned and closed his eyes. "That pertains to the third reason. Before I answer, I must make sure you are unable to attack me anymore. Even though your body is useless, you Bankai can still attack me. So if you'll wait a moment…" He mentally took the floating sand around him and formed a giant wedge, and a giant spiked sphere. Mayuri made a last ditch effort to kill him and forced his Bankai to charge again.

Sasori swung his right hand forward, and the large wedge shot forward and impacted Konjiki head on, cutting through the phalanx of swords between it and the zanpakutō spirit. His left hand made a fist, which he swung it down. The sphere crashed down on top of the immobile Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, crushing it into pulp.

"Now, that's done." He turned back to Mayuri on the ground, rage contorting his face. "You know? I don't think you're worthy enough to know the third reason. But just so you know, that poison is specially made. I just recently developed it. You know that bacteria you use on your experiments? It's a different strain of that. But to be more exact, it's a virus. It will eat off of the proteins in your body consistently, replicating itself over and over. Eventually, it will begin eating the rest of your cells, even going so far as to assimilate them. Your body will wither, painfully. You have two, maybe three days at the most. We both know how this is going to end. But before your body crumbles to dust and is scattered on the wind, I have a question to ask you."

Mayuri couldn't respond; what would he say?

"Our doctor found specific injuries on Namikaze Hinata's body. The pattern in which they appear directs one to believe she was raped. Is this true?"

Mayuri quirked an eyebrow. "Why should I answer you?" Sasori's widened for a moment before he answered.

"Because if you don't, I'm fairly certain Naruto will kill you." Mayuri's eyes went wide as a solid beam of red energy shot out from behind Sasori, warping and turning with purpose, straight at the downed captain. _'A **Cero?!**'_ The beam of energy twisted so as to hit Mayuri, but the captain was surprised when he felt the energy wrap around him and drag him into and through the ground and surrounding walls, all the while being shot back until, finally, he impacted into wall at the far end of the corridor.

He grunted in pain and hacked up a cup-full of blood. He suddenly felt a burning sensation around his waist and chest. He looked down and saw the energy still attached to him. It was hot, so hot his skin was boiling and rupturing before his very eyes. The pain was excruciating. _'Ngh… No, not a **Cero.** But it feels just like it. This is Hollow energy, this feels like a **Cero,** but **Cero** can't be manipulated like this; their one-shot attacks, once fired their form can't be maintained; it's impossible for this to be **Cero!** But if that's so then what is…?'_

He looked up and saw the energy extend back to where Sasori stood, twisting around him. But suddenly it shifted, and Mayuri found himself being dragged back to him in the same way he was pushed away, dragged into the surrounding surfaces, bludgeoning him into a bloody pulp, blood leaking from cuts and gashes that seemed to appear every second. Mayuri felt, rather than saw himself impact the ground and the burning feeling leave him. He opened his eyes and saw the energy retract from his body.

It was a hand! Using what sensory skills he had left, he reached out and his suspicions were confirmed. _'It's a **Cero,** but its form is beyond anything I've ever seen!'_ No matter how he rationalized it, a **Cero** simply didn't have the ability to take an actual form, and even if it did, no one would have the control capable of manipulating its shape and trajectory like this.

He closed his eyes for only a moment. A blink. And when he opened them again he saw the energy retracting back to that Namikaze boy. But that wasn't what caused him to sweat, well, more than he already was. What caused him such fear was that the energy reformed into a right claw.

But the energy seemed to spread all over the boy, enveloping him. Like a shroud of energy, but the energy was all a **Cero.** _'T-t-this simply isn't possible!!'_ The shrouded boy seemed to recoil for a moment, crossing his arms in front of him before uncrossing them and shooting out a third arm from his gut.

This arm's claw fell upon Mayuri, crushing him into the ground. At the same time, it acted as an anchor and pulled the blond into the air and down toward him. Just before Naruto was about to simply body slam him, he reached out his right hand and wrapped it around Mayuri's neck.

Mayuri hacked out more blood. The blood flew out and as soon as it touched the **Cero** shroud, it vaporized into black wisps of smoke. At such close proximity, Mayuri could see the boy had dramatically changed. His cheeks were black with three thick markings on each, reminiscent of whiskers. His eyes were red with slit pupils, like a cat's. Is hair was wild, untamed, and seemed to sway within the energy, as if being blown by the wind, though there was none. He also saw that the shroud extended around the boy's body, with ears and three tails. Mayuri had a sudden image of a fox run through his mind as he saw the exact shapes the energy appendages were taking.

**"Now, I'm pretty sure he asked you a question. Don't make me repeat it!"** He loosened up his grip on the captain's throat, only enough to let him speak, but he held his palm over his face, letting the heat from the fox shroud emanate onto the captains skin, promising pain if he doesn't answer. **"Either spill your guts or I'll do it for you, NOW!!"** He reared his arm back ready to smash the captain's face. Mayuri himself was not very happy with his current situation.

The very idea of a _captain_ of the _Gotei 13_ being defeated in battle by a bunch of souls was preposterous! By the very definition, souls were simple human spirits. Now if the captain fell to another Shinigami, like Aizen, possibly, then that was understandable, for only a Shinigami can best a Shinigami. Either that or a high powered Hollow. But to lose nearly singlehandedly to an adolescent terrorist from another world, a world of…shinobi… of all things… it simply never happened.

He clenched his teeth as he felt the heat on his face. "There's no need for me to answer. Even if I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me." Naruto brought his hand closer to Kurotsuchi's face. **"It wasn't a request, sick bastard. Tell me now or I will rip your face from your skull and give it to Orochimaru! I'm sure he'd love to toy with your life."** Mayuri huffed in annoyance, which incidentally spit out blood from his rupturing lungs.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you so. I ordered her capture as a research subject, the means were theirs to decide; I don't burden myself with trivial matters. When the group I had dispatched didn't report in, I became impatient. It didn't take me long to find them. When I did though, their hands were all over her unconscious body, fingering her from every hole she had. They even were so far in as to be pleasuring themselves, spreading their seed over every square inch of skin." Mayuri grinned knowing full well how this would affect the boy. If memory served correctly, the girl was this boy's mate. The boy had said to spill his guts. Who was he to keep the truth from him, especially when he so desperately wanted it?

Naruto's eyes were hidden by a shadow but he made no movement to stop Mayuri who continued. "I questioned their actions, and when they failed to give me a good answer, I killed them on the spot."

Sasori spoke up for Naruto, who seemed frozen in place. "Why would you kill them? Are they not your subordinates?"

Mayuri took visible offence to that. "Why? Because they were damaging the research subject! As a scientist, you always attempt to obtain a specimen in as pristine a condition as possible. Now if I wanted to find out if she would respond similarly to other normal souls, or even humans, and wanted to examine her reproductive capabilities, then I would gladly let them do what they wished. But they were damaging her for their own hormonal desires. As a scientist, you must put your own feelings aside for the accumulation of knowledge. Those who are so easily tempted by their own emotions and desires have no place in my division."

Sasori felt the same, but since his subordinates knew better and were trained to forgo all emotions anyway, it had never been a problem.

**"…So you killed them?"** Naruto barely whispered. Mayuri nodded. "Of course!"

**"And the fact that they were violating an innocent, pure girl meant nothing to you?"**

"All it meant to me was that it would be that much longer to test her since she had to be cleaned. In fact the very reason she was so pure and innocent probably turned them on even more." Mayuri added this last part with a smirk, knowing it would push the child over the edge. Mayuri suddenly found his chest crushed by the boy's foot as he stood over him.

**"Then there's is nothing else I need to know. Sasori said you had three days. Allow me to amend that. You have three seconds!"** Naruto opened his mouth and despite Mayuri's initial doubt, proved him right. A small sphere of red energy formed between his upper and lower jaw.

_'IMPOSIBLE!!'_

He pointed his head down to fire the blast directly at the captain's head. His eyes held no mercy.

**"DIE!!!"**

A resounding explosion ripped through Seireitei. The shockwave from the initial blast was felt even by the captains in their barracks. Those within the first mile were subdued by the mere build-up of reiatsu, and when the attack was unleashed, they felt as if they would instantly die. A mininova shown throughout the city, casting light and shadows throughout the narrow corridors. Windows within two miles cracked and shattered, blowing inward. Building foundations groaned from the stress. Every captain within Seireitei turned their heads toward the shining second sun. The wave of reiatsu that washed over them was simply amazing. The malice, the cruelty, the rage, the sadness. All these emotions were transmitted through the wave. The emotions of one man brought death to many.

* * *

Ukitake woke from his sleep by the feeling of a Hollow's energy. It couldn't be… Hollow with this much spiritual energy never ended up in Seireitei. Only low level Hollow attempted such a feat and only because their reiatsu levels were so small as to be unnoticed. Those with large stores of it simply couldn't hide it and were dealt with before they could get here. But this energy, it was unmistakably a Hollow's. He quickly got up and cross to his window. He was instantly blinded by the explosion that resounded. "W-what the hell is that?!"

* * *

Unohana Retsu looked up at the bright sky. She could feel the life surrounding it blink out, and others cry out in pain. Why? Why did all of this suffering have to occur? What warranted such violence? She called for Isane Kotetsu, her vice-captain to get ready with a squad to head to ground zero.

* * *

Rukia awoke with a start. Even in these walls of reiatsu absorbing energy, she could clearly feel the sick energy of the explosion the light up the night sky. A Hollow's energy. It simply baffled her. Who had power like this? It couldn't be Ichigo, and it didn't feel familiar to her. Wait, no, there was a faint trace of familiarity. But she couldn't place it. What could have caused this?

* * *

Yoruichi's eyes popped wide open. It couldn't be possible. Hollow in Seireitei? Could their little invasion have distracted the Shinigami that much? Ichigo was asleep, and knowing him, he wouldn't feel a thing. She furrowed her brows. Ichigo had to learn Bankai in three days. If he didn't, this whole invasion would be for nothing. And in this position, Soul Society would be unprepared for him to take down a captain.

* * *

The light died down and Naruto stood amidst the carnage. The entire area had nearly been flattened. Worse yet, Mayuri had somehow escaped. As soon as the beam of energy descended on him, he liquefied. Naruto's anger soared, but he could do nothing. He raised his head to the heavens and let lose a roar. The roar itself shredded his vocal cords into bloody pieces, but it made him feel better, if only a bit. The result was a deep bellow that shook the very ground itself. Stone slabs slid or rolled away from him as the sound rocketed throughout the city.

**"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"**

As he finished he fell to his knees. The floodgates of his eyes opened and he sobbed openly. Before he knew it, his skin began peeling off. He didn't pay attention. By a stroke of luck, a sharp pain emitted from his neck. He instantly fell over unconscious, tears continued to flow freely down his face.

Sasori felt it safe to drop his iron sand shield. The black grains slid off each other until the dome encompassing the wounded Shinigami and the immobile Quincy completely disintegrated. Sasori was thankful he had that vile of knockout potion. He had opened a small hole to peer out of when he saw Naruto begin to transform again. He quickly fired it out at him before he could complete the transformation.

He sighed and the sand retracted into the Third Kazekaze's mouth. The extra arms returned to their seals, which closed. Sasori quickly sealed him back into his scroll and hid it in his cloak. He jogged up to Naruto. He felt sorry for him. To not be able to avenge your loved one… it was a feeling that was only slightly familiar to him. Having lost his parents early on, but being unable to avenge them, he had learned to cope. He picked him up and slung him over his shoulder with ease. He could already sense Shinigami approaching.

He walked back to the archway that the Quincy was slumped by. He really wished Naruto would teach some of them the Hiraishin. It was a pain to use Shunshin constantly. Fortunately, there was the reverse summoning.

"Wait…" Sasori stopped and turned to the Shinigami. "What?"

Nemu was having trouble forming words. "I-is Mayuri-sama…?" Sasori frowned at her. "I don't think so. Otherwise, Naruto wouldn't have reacted the way he did. There's a good chance he's alive."

Nemu smiled slightly. "Then, when he wakes up, thank him for me."

"Thank him? Why?"

Nemu averted her gaze downward. "Because he didn't kill him. When you said he wasn't dead, I felt happy. As gratitude for leaving him alive, you can use the antidote for Mayuri-sama's poison." Sasori looked at her oddly.

"I don't think he meant for him to survive, and besides, I told you, his poison never affected me. But if you will allow it, I think the Quincy over there is in need of such an antidote."

Nemu looked over at Ishida then back to Sasori and nodded. "It's behind my badge." Sasori walked over and slid the badge down revealing a small bottle. He thanked her and walked over the Ishida. "Open your mouth." Ishida was too frightened to do otherwise. Despite Sasori's apathetic face, he knew that Sasori was a hardened killer, one capable of easily defeating a captain of the Gotei 13. Sasori poured a gulp full into Ishida's mouth.

"The paralysis will remain most likely for minute or two. But that doesn't mean that you can start climbing trees yet. If it's like any common poison, it will spread with an elevated heart rate. Even with the antidote, we don't want it spreading now do we?" He put the cap back on the bottle and set it on the ground. "In about, say, five minutes and you can walk again. When you can, make the most of it. Shinigami troops are already on their way."

Sasori instantly sent a mental message to Pain, who, by way of Animal Realm, summoned Sasori and Naruto back to his location.

* * *

Ishida simply couldn't believe the power that these shinobi held. Had Sasori's Iron Sand not been shielding them, they all would have been obliterated by the blast. But what intrigued him was the fact that the attack had felt like a Cero. Not only that, but the roar that the blond let loose sounded like a deeper version of a Hollow's scream. There was so much he didn't know about them, but he wanted so bad to find out. _'I think that's enough time.'_ He slowly stood, testing each limb's strength before walking away. When he felt sure enough he vanished into the night, heading for the mountain fortress.

* * *

**_Next morning_**

Ishida slowly opened his eyes. _'Where am I?'_ He looked around and saw he was in a cell. Examining himself he saw, 'My wounds are healed?' Wait wounds? When did he get these wounds? The early morning amnesia was full on right now, but it was slowly leaving. _'That's right; I fought that Ninth Division captain.'_ That brought another bitter realization to his mind. _'If I'm here, then I lost…'_

"Oh! You're awake!" A mummified head popped into his vision from the bunk above him, scaring what life he had nearly out of him.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!!!! G-Ganju-kun! Don't scare me like that!" Ganju huffed in annoyance.

"Well you shouldn't be so jumpy! It's not my fault if you wet your pants from a simple hello."

Ishida groaned. "In any case, why were our injuries healed? We're their enemies, why would they help us?"

"The situation has changed." Ishida turned his head to see Chad slouching in his seat on the other side of the room.

Ishida was surprised to him here. "Sado-kun!"

Chad continued. "I heard it from one of the guards. One of the captains has been assassinated. They don't know who did it, so the Ryoka are the primary source of information."

Ishida sighed. "So that's why we were healed, for interrogation…"

Ganju nodded. "Yeah. If it weren't for these cuffs though, I could easily break through that wall with stone wave."

Ishida looked at his own cuffs. _'So these drain us of reiatsu. But even if I wasn't cuffed, my reiatsu ability is…'_ He left his own thought unfinished. He had been forced to use the Quincy Letz Style to fight off the Ninth captain, but even so, the captain's Bankai came as a surprise, and he was unable to defend himself from the virtually invisible man.

Ganju continued. "Anyway, even though we survived, we're locked up! This is the worst case scenario! But one thing's for sure; if the enemy doesn't want to kill us, the others are probably still alive!" Chad nodded.

"If all three of us were captured, then Inoue, who's no good at fighting, probably also got caught. That just leaves Yoruichi-san and Ichigo. I'm waiting for Ichigo. He will definitely come and get us out of here. Until then, the only thing we can do is heal up and prepare for the next battle. Let's wait, for Ichigo!"

* * *

Kusajishi Yachiru sat along the wall listening to Aramaki explain how he had helped the Ryoka girl escape. As he ended, thanking her for finding him, she spoke up. "It couldn't be helped. The Ryoka girl's reiatsu is the same as Ichi's I followed it and found Ara… Ara… maki… Uh… Umm…"

Aramaki apologized quickly. "Ah sorry! Maki-Maki! Its Maki-Maki. I've been serving the vice-captain for almost ten years!"

Yachiru Tested the name on her lips. "Maki-Maki…Haha! That's a funny name!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GAVE ME THAT NICKNAME!!!"

Ikkaku directed his attention to the orange haired girl sitting in the chair before him. "So.. What happened Inoue-san? Is that Ichigo brat still alive?"

Yumichika was silently envying Inoue's figure and beauty, which thankfully went unnoticed by everyone else.

"Ah, actually I… I don't know." Orihime stuttered out.

Zaraki grumbled from his seat. "Don't ask stupid questions Ikkaku. He's definitely alive, I can feel it! That guy is alive, and he's getting stronger!" He was bandaged all over his chest and stomach. Even a small bandaged over his nose where Ichigo slashed at him. "Interesting! I'll help you Ojou-san." Noticing Orihime's questioning, and surprised face, he answered, "Because if I go with you, I'll definitely meet up with Ichigo again soon!"

* * *

"How'd it go?" Deidara was not known for his sensitivity. As the dust settled from the reverse summoning, he saw Naruto, unconscious slung over Sasori's shoulder. What interested him was that Sasori was in his true form, rather than Hiruko. "You should know it went badly. Sakura, how is she?"

Sakura nodded and turned back to Hinata's body. Hinata was lain out on the ground with a giant clay grub worm for a pillow, courtesy of Deidara himself. She still had Sasori's spare cloak for a blanket. Sakura was kneeling right beside her. The others were strewn about, trying to find a place to get comfortable. They were past the curfew given to them, but they didn't care. This was more important and could decide the fate of both the Shinigami and shinobi.

"Well, I did a few tests, but they were fairly general since I don't have instruments. I as far as I can tell, she was penetrated but the way the wounds are shaped and the way they appear don't indicate normal intercourse."

"So you're saying she got figure-fucked." Hidan was also not known for his sympathetic side. Sure he wasn't happy that a comrade got hurt, but it wasn't like he was going to lose any sleep over it.

Sakura glared at him, thankful that Naruto was out. "Yes. There are also faint semen stains on her skin. These are mostly on her chest and pelvic area."

"And now you're saying they jacked off on her, fingered her everywhere, but didn't fuck her?" Sakura was about the rip Hidan's arms off, again. Even unconscious, Naruto growled low. Deidara threw Hidan an exasperated look.

"Oi, oi, Hidan! Even I know not to go that far." Kakuzu, not exactly happy to defend Hidan, interjected. "But he does raise an interesting point."

Sasori put Naruto down next to Hinata. Their hands instinctively slid across to each other and touched. It would have been a Kodak-moment were it not for the circumstances. "Mayuri claimed he killed the men who did it because they were 'damaging the test subject'. His claims would also explain why there aren't any obvious penile penetration signs; he killed them before they got to that point."

Sakura sighed as she heard this. Part of her was relieved that Hinata wasn't actually raped, but the other part told her that it was the very man who ordered her capture that was backing up her own theories. "How can you be sure he was telling the truth?"

Sasori sat down Indian style next to the sleeping couple, and next to Sakura. "Mayuri is a true scientist. He would want his experiment to be in as perfect a condition as possible before he began testing. He would never have ordered her rape, since that would damage her. Whether he killed the men or not is up for grabs though, but I would lean toward him telling the truth."

Sakura had no choice but to accept Sasori's word on the matter. Sasori was less of a scientist that Orochimaru, who was probably at the same level as Kurotsuchi, but he was still a scientist to a degree, and as such they would think along the same lines. "Then that means that she was only handled, not completely raped. I'm not sure whether Naruto will be relieved or not." Deva Realm walked up to the two bodies and used Shinra Tensei to pick them up, levitating them in the air.

"I'll take them to a secure area. I recently found a place the Ryoka are using that will offer shelter for them both until they wake up." It was a statement. Naruto and Nagato had a close relationship, and Nagato had in a way taken the place of Naruto's second brother, Sasuke being the first. But Nagato knew what Naruto would want, so no one could question his decisions, except Sasuke, who wasn't about to object to the considerate action.

Sasuke spoke up. "I'm pretty sure Naruto will want to declare war on the Shinigami with this information. In that case, everyone prepare to fight any Shinigami that gets in your way. If you meet the Ryoka, do your best to aid them, but don't give yourselves away. If you do, make sure there are no survivors." With that Sasuke walked over to Sakura and the two vanished.

Konan took Nagato's place. "Akatsuki, form up into your original two man teams, but listen for a few changes: Orochimaru, your with Sasori. Deidara, your with Zetsu. Zetsu, you and Deidara will be our recon team. If needed, you'll spot targets for Deidara's bombing runs." The four Akatsuki nodded and paired up. Zetsu phased away and Deidara flew off. Orochimaru and Sasori simply Shunshin-ed away. Hidan and Kakuzu casually walked away, and Kisame was about do the same when Itachi put a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on Kisame, there's a place I'd like to go to. I have something I want to try before we go fighting."

"'Something?' What kind of something?"

Itachi smirked. "You'll see. Trust me, it'll be worth your time just to see it." Kisame grinned and nodded, and both vanished. Konan turned back to Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo.

"Ok. Suigetsu, I know you're usually paired with Naruto, but until Naruto is back up and running, you're going to be with your sensei."

Suigetsu smiled slightly, letting his sharp teeth show in the orange light. "Karin, you'll go with him. Juugo, you go find Sasuke, he'll be your partner." The three nodded and vanished as well, leaving only Konan in the corridor. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of the chaos that would result from this.

_'Let loose the dogs of war…'_

* * *

**A/N: "Well, there's chapter nine! I'm allready working on ten, and it should be out in... no less than a month, since im on summer break. Please REVIEW!! I cannot express how much reviews are appreciated and/or needed! If you have any questions or complaints, or even comments, please, i'll be happy to respond to them. Oh, and as far as canon goes, next chapter will be fun! ... Yes, fun is relevent to canon. No, seriously, the next chapter will probably be a bit off canon, but it will be for the better. Anyway, REVIEW and subscribe! 'Till next time, ja ne!"**


	10. Chapter 10: The Past Pt 1

**A/N: "WOOT!! You have no idea how long it took me to do this one. It was going to be longer, about 40 (Word) pages long, but i decided to break it up. Here's part one of my (hopefully) two part set of Naruto and Hinata's past."**

**"Oh, and on a special note, I would like to personally thank **Tashio** for his helpfull review on the last chapter. I hope i did better with that this time. (He had pointed out the difference between Reaitsu and Reiryoku: Reiryoku [Spiritual Power], Reiatsu [Spiritual Pressure])"**

**"Oops! I allmost forgot. Anonymous: Deva path looks the same as he did in life, so in short, the **_exact_** same. This is because of Nagato's stong attachment to Yahiko. (Nagato has a shapesifting technique that he used on the body of someone else to turn him into Yahiko's visage.)"**

**Now, onto the story!! DRUM ROLL PLEASE!! (READ AND REVIEW btw.)**

****

**_The Past - Pt. 1_**

_*Knock Knock*_ Ikkaku groaned and sat up. "I'll get it." He walked over to the door and opened it up. Zabuza walked in and sat down. "What's going on in here?" Zabuza eyed the Ryoka girl carefully. Orihime felt the aura of this man radiate 'cold killer' even as he walked in and stood by the door. Ikkaku closed the door, locked it and went back to his seat by Yumichika. Zaraki turned around from his position in front of Orihime to glance at his fourth seat. "Took ya' long enough, Zabuza. We were wonderin' if you were gonna show." Zabuza crossed his arms, but stayed alert, remembering what he had pledged not twenty minutes ago.

_Flash Back_

_Suigetsu maintained his concerned face, smiles gone. "What about you, senpai? You're a legit Shinigami, but your also one of us. How will you handle this?" Everyone looked at Zabuza. After a moment he sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I won't betray you, that's for sure, but fighting my fellow Shinigami… Some of them are even my friends."_

_Naruto grabbed Zabuza's shoulders and gripped him. "Zabuza, they _experimented_ on my _wife!_" His voice about cracked when he said "wife", but he was able to hold it together for now. Zabuza sighed again. He glanced over at Haku who said, "I'm as divided as you are." _

_Zabuza groaned slightly. But when he looked back at Naruto's face, he furrowed his brow. "I'll fight with you, but I won't fight anyone from the Eleventh division, seated members aside. As a fellow seated member, they look up to me, and when they see me fighting their comrades, what will they do? I cannot break them that way. But I will fight any of the seated members along with my captain should the need arise." _

_Flash Back End_

"Show for what? An interrogation?" Yachiru smiled and hopped up on Zabuza's shoulders. "Ken-chan, baldy, big-booby, and homo-chan are going to help the Ryoka!" Zabuza's eyes widened while Ikkaku and Yumichika fumed at their vice-captain. Orihime blushed and looked down at her chest. _'Was she talking about me when she said big-booby?'_

Yachiru took Zabuza's moment of distraction and quickly reached for his mask. It had become common place to see the two wrestle each other. Yachiru always tried to get Zabuza's mask, and Zabuza always had to fight for his life to keep her from pulling the cloth off. "Oh no ya' don't!" He pried her off his shoulders and held up by the scruff of her neck as far away from his face as he could without stretching his own arms off.

She struggled for a few moments before sighing in defeat. "Oni-chan is so mean!"

(Yachiru just made a pun. It's a play on words. Oni means "demon" or "monster", but it sounds like she's saying "brother", which she also considers Zabuza to be.)

"Yeah, well…" Zabuza let the retort drop as he looked back to his fellow squad members. "Well then, we might as well make it the top five of the Eleventh then." Ikkaku puzzled for a moment over the comment. "Huh? You joining us too? That was fast."

Zabuza chuckled. "No, it's actually simple for me. See, Mayuri experimented on one of my friend's wife, who was soon recovered before permanent damage could be done. You might have noticed the explosion earlier…" The others were shocked. "That was them?!"

"Yeah. It felt like Naruto. I'm not surprised though. It _was_ his wife. Anyway, the shinobi are considering it a declaration of war against them, and as both a shinobi and Shinigami, I had to decide who to help. I chose the shinobi. I told them I wouldn't fight anyone from the Eleventh, seated officer's aside. But now I don't have to worry about it at all."

He smiled friendlily from under his mask. Zaraki wasn't offended by Zabuza's choice either. He simply smiled and licked the corners of his mouth. "Nice! Then let's get going already!"

Zabuza held up his left hand, since his right still held Yachiru. "Hold up a sec. Something's wrong…"

"What's wrong, someone coming?" Ikkaku mumbled, fingering his sword.

"Yeah. But… Why does he follow me everywhere?"

As soon as he said it, each of them felt a small amount of reiatsu from behind the door. No sooner had they felt it then water began seeping through the door frame. "What the hell?" Ikkaku mentioned.

Zaraki looked at it with a blank face. When a good amount of water seeped through, it began to shift. Soon it reformed into two human shapes, one with long hair and the other with short. Color then followed the forms and they saw a blue haired youth with an ironically red haired hottie.

Zabuza quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you lost your cloths when you did that." The blue haired one smirked, showing razor sharp shark like teeth. Yumichika just about crapped his own pants when he saw the grin. _'Holy crap!' _

Suigetsu pulled out a scroll and handed it to Zabuza. "Well, we got our pairings. Me and Karin are with you, senpai." Zabuza took the scroll and unraveled it. On it was a list of groups set up by Konan.

_List Top_

Hidan/Kakuzu – Juggernauts

Suigetsu/Karin/Zabuza – Super-uber beast team!

Itachi/Kisame – Classic genius and brute

Sasori/Orochimaru – Eternal youth obsessors

Juugo/Sasuke/Sakura – Husband/wife combo & insane maniac

Deidara/Zetsu – Scouts/bombing team

Six Pains/Konan – Why not?

Nagato/Naruto/Hinata – Powerhouses

_List End_

"Where's Haku?" Suigetsu shrugged but Karin spoke up. "I think Nagato had him on a special training program for his abilities. Something about a similarity to one of the captains."

Zabuza looked back down at the list. "Suigetsu, you made this didn't you?"

Suigetsu smiled. "Yeah! How could you tell?"

"Just a thought."

Karin laughed a little. She then turned to regard the other female in the room. "Oh, Orihime! It's nice to meet you again." Orihime, glad to have someone else to talk to, settled in and chatted about the situation with the three conflicting factions in Seireitei, while the men talked war plans.

* * *

Another sword. And another. And _another. _Ichigo was running through swords like none other. Though, the more he used, the longer he was able to keep fighting with them without them breaking. Yoruichi was running out of energy, keeping the doll running. "How's it going?" She nearly jumped out of her skin. Whirling she saw an Akatsuki member with a face full of piercings standing in before her, with an amused face.

"How'd you get in here without me noticing?" Pain sighed. "I'm Pain. Leader of the Akatsuki. Nice to meet you too." He smirked as she narrowed her eyes at him, relaxing only a little. "Yoruichi."

Pain's eyebrows lifted. "I thought you were a cat."

"I was. But you still didn't answer my question."

"Well you didn't answer mine either."

Yoruichi sighed and slapped her palm against her forehead. She might as well be talking to a kid. "It's going fine."

"…Could you try being a bit vaguer? The details are boring me." The sarcasm was evident, but disappeared as soon as it appeared. "It's a reiatsu cloak. Its hides the reiatsu from the outside, but doesn't hinder its usage." Yoruichi seemed to settle at this, and sat back down on the edge of the small overhang.

"He's progressing steadily. His reiryoku increase is slight, but his handling skills are rapidly growing."

Pain looked at the orange haired teen. Indeed he was doing better in swordsmanship, but his already massive reiryoku capacity wasn't growing much. "I have a favor to ask, Yoruichi-san." She responded without looking. "What's that?"

Pain shifted and turned around slightly, looking at something. "Can you take care of these two for a while?" Yoruichi turned as well and saw two bodies floating horizontally in the air behind him. One had blond hair, the other had midnight blue. Both seemed asleep, and even in the air they seemed to cuddle together. She remembered what Kukaku had said about their chain of command. "That kid. The blond one… he's your leader isn't he?"

Pain smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"And the girl, I'm guessing she's his girlfriend?" Pain rolled his eyes. "Try wife. And don't ask how or why. Once and for all: we are older than we appear!" He didn't yell it, but it was stern. Honestly… Couldn't the indigenous people spread _that_ around rather than useless information? He was getting tired of repeating it. "Anyway, the girl was nearly raped by the Twelfth division captain, or at least, as a result of his orders, which were to capture her for experimentation."

Yoruichi shook her head. Kurotsuchi always had been a bit too curious for his own good. She walked over to the two unconscious bodies. They were shoulder to shoulder, with their hands being held by the others'. The girl's face was tense, as was the boy's. Their knuckles were turning white from the intense grip too. It was as if they were trying to make sure the other was there, and wouldn't be able to leave. She couldn't help but smile at the cute couple.

"We found out and Naruto was about to barrel through Seireitei in search of her, and Mayuri. Instead, we were able to restrain him and sent Sasori after him, since he felt he knew enough about him to find the teme. Unfortunately, Naruto got away and located Sasori just as he was about to finish Mayuri. The end result of Naruto's interrogation was Mayuri liquefying himself before he ended up spare atoms in a giant crater, courtesy of Naruto. I'm sure you noticed the wave of reiatsu earlier."

Yoruichi's eye went wide as she looked from the boy to Pain, then back to the boy. "You're kidding! That couldn't have been him. The energy was undoubtedly a Hollow's, it's impossible for him to use Hollow energy." Yoruichi mentally corrected herself, knowing that it was possible: The Vaizards were living proof of that, and Ichigo might be close to becoming one if his current state deteriorates.

Pain shook his head. "Actually, it is possible, but for a reason he will have to tell you. It's not my place." With that he let the two floating bodies drop softly to the ground.

"Upon defeating Mayuri, but being unable to kill him, Naruto was about to go berserk when Sasori sedated him. Hinata, the girl, was in an intense amount of pain due to Mayuri's initial pre-experimentation preparation. Sasori also sedated her and injected another poison of his own into her. However, it was a type of bacteria, similar to Mayuri's. Its purpose was to search out and destroy foreign objects in the host's body. Apparently it worked. Anyway, they're both due to wake up in about an hour or two. Until then, and until they're healthy enough to fight, can you take care of them?"

Yoruichi looked back at the kids. This guy was entrusting them to her? Why? …Well, what harm could there be? Even if they're not really kids, having them around might be helpful. She looked back up at Pain. "I don't see any harm in taking care of them, but as you can see, I'm already busy with a kid of my own." She smirked and indicated Ichigo. Pain chuckled and nodded. "I see that. No need to worry too much, once awake they should be able to take care of themselves, but I don't want them fighting until they're fully healed. I give you permission to use any methods necessary to keep them here."

She blinked and he was gone. "Well, since Ichigo is otherwise occupied, I guess I'll help you two out." She smiled and picked both of them up, one in each arm, and carried them a bit away from the training pit near the hot spring. _'Now all that's left to do is wait for them to wake up.'_

* * *

Kisame watched in rapt awe as Itachi released the technique. "I never knew you had that ability… What else have you been hiding?" Itachi turned from his makeshift training ground and smirked. "I had that ability for a while, even while you and I were partners. I just never had the need to show it to you."

Kisame cocked his head. "Soo, why the change?"

Itachi replaced his smirk with his usual face. "I wanted to see if this technique would work the same in this world as it did in ours."

"…And?"

Itachi smirked once again. "…Come along Kisame." Kisame groaned slightly, but grinned soon after. "Yeah, yeah."

* * *

"Komamura-taicho! The intruders have penetrated the central hall! They'll be here in a matter of minutes!" Iba stood before the doorway to his captain's quarters.

Komamura turned and nodded. "All right. I'll deal with this threat myself."

He walked out the door, past Iba and down the hall. At the end of the hallway, he saw some of his men backing up timidly, the unseen threat obviously advancing. The men didn't even acknowledge their captain, but seemed to stare straight ahead. Rounding the corner, he saw the culprit. He had black hair and wore an Akatsuki cloak. Behind him was another Akatsuki member. This one had deep navy blue hair and his hair stood on ends somewhat. He had a katana strapped to his hip, and he wore an odd head band. It was different from the others as it was actually like a cap without the top. It also extended down to cover the back of his head. He had light blue eyes and small smirk on his face. Uchiha Itachi was easily recognizable, but the other was a mystery.

Behind them were the blood stained floors and walls of the main hall of the barracks. Men were strewn around. Those who were still alive were barely able to lift their swords, and each bore a near fatal injury somewhere on their bodies. Komamura advanced.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Itachi turned from the man he was holding, by the neck, and dropped him. "Komamura-san. I'm sorry, but this is necessary." Itachi drew from the folds of his cloak, a katana; hilt-less and slightly shorter than the average, as well as completely straight. It was a modified version of his ANBU katana.

Komamura drew his own weapon. "Drop your weapons!" Itachi looked up at the skylight above him. "Kisame, he's your opponent. I'll take out their leader." Komamura looked at the other he was talking to. He called him Kisame, but as he remembered, Kisame was a half shark-man person. Could he be using one of those transformations?

Kisame fiddled with his own katana. It was a simple katana. It had a circular hilt with a death's head emblem on four sides, each circling the blade. "You sure you can take him? Pain said only a few of us could actually fight the old geezer."

Itachi nodded. "I happen to be one of those few. Take care, Kisame." He vanished immediately after. Komamura whispered to Iba, "Inform the so-taicho of the situation. Make sure he understands what's going on."

"Hai, taicho." Iba also vanished, leaving Kisame, Komamura and miscellaneous cowering members off the Seventh division. "Akatsuki, drop your weapon immediately. If you do not surrender, I will be forced to fight you."

Kisame chuckled. "A threat to one is a threat to all. Just remember that while you're regenerating your limbs in the hospital." He drew his sword and held it out at his left side.

"This is your last warning!" Komamura yelled out. Kisame's teeth flashed. "You're so noisy. Just attack already."

Sajin was silent for a moment. "Answer me one question then. Why are you doing this?"

"Personally, it would be, as Itachi would say, to 'measure my capacity.' But as per the overall scheme, it's to protect ourselves from your arrogant and ignorant ways."

Komamura didn't have the faintest clue what he was talking about, but committed the words to memory; they might be useful later. "Then I have no choice."

Sajin shunpo-ed in front of Kisame and swung down. Kisame leisurely brought his own sword up against the captain's. A spider web of cracks appeared below Kisame's feet, slowly spreading across the wood floors. Kisame's left hand gripped his hilt a little tighter. "Heheh, nice swing! Ya' got some power behind it too. Maybe I don't have to hold back anymore." He pushed a little harder and the captain's blade lifted an inch or two.

Komamura decided it best not to play nice and bore down on him with all the strength his right arm had. Kisame was unprepared for the sudden onslaught and almost had the opposing blade slice into his shoulder, but had to use both hands to stop the momentum.

"Damn, that's some power!"

Komamura suddenly found _his_ sword being pushed upward again, to which he brought both his hands together and pushed. Both of the blades stopped moving in a deadlock. Realizing this was going nowhere fast; they both leapt away from each other and slid some ten feet away.

Komamura leapt up and swung again in a double-handed axe blow. Kisame swung upwards with both hands and the blades clanged. The ground below Kisame cratered, and force from Kisame's counter strike actually threw Komamura off for a moment.

They continued going at it, their strikes so powerful as to crush any normal person's arms to a pulp. Slashing left and right, they both ended up making holes in the walls and floor.

Kisame had been grinning the whole time. "Heh! For once; a person who's actually matched equally with me! Let's keep this up; I wanna see how strong I am compared to you." Sajin, though it couldn't be seen, slightly lifted the side of his muzzle in a grin.

"Since we have to fight anyway, I see no reason not to grant that request." He held his sword above his head and a purple aura surrounded him and radiated all around the makeshift arena. The spectators had since moved a safe distance away to watch.

When he had gained enough energy he swung his sword down. "**Roar, Tenken**!" A disembodied arm with an archaic samurai sword slammed down on Kisame's blade. A dust cloud enveloped Kisame. After a moment, the cloud settled, and Kisame could be seen. A long red slash ran down his chest, the blood slowly dripping to the floor.

"*Huff,* *huff,* *huff,* *huff*… Was that, *huff*, your Shikai?"

Sajin nodded. "Yes it was. Would you mind answering another question Akatsuki?"

Kisame looked around and gestured at the area. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do at the moment."

Komamura continued, "It's been bugging me for a while… When I saw you, you had a giant wrapped weapon strapped to your back. Why did you trade that in for a simple katana?"

Kisame looked down at his sword. It had a slight chip in it from the strike. He had swung upwards on the descending blade, and had managed to only slightly equal out the incoming force. The result had been the chip and his bleeding wound.

"Actually, Orochimaru, our own scientist, of sorts, was fascinated by your ability to seal your real sword's forms and abilities in a simple katana base. He was so interested he tried out his own weapon and found a way to immediately seal qualities of an object into another object, capable of being withdrawn from that object by either commands or energy signature. It's actually a variation of our summoning techniques."

Kisame grinned and flashed his teeth. "Allow me to demonstrate…"

He held his sword at his right side, the blade angled backwards, ready to swing. Azure reiryoku emanated from Kisame's body. His eyes lit up like blue flame. "**Shred the Seas, Samehada!**"

The reiryoku exploded outward, completely smothering the captain and breaking down weak walls and blowing out nearby windows.

Komamura shielded his face, even though it was already blocked by the helmet. _'That was almost identical to Shikai! If they've found a way to imitate, or even find a way to reach Shikai and Bankai, how much stronger have they become?'_

The reiatsu around him burned his skin, he felt as if he were being ripped apart, his skin felt enflamed, as if it were being ripped apart, not layer by layer, but chunk by chunk. And as the light dimmed, he could see clearly what Kisame held. It was a perfect copy of the large instrument he had previously been seen with. This time however, the bandages were nonexistent.

The large… _thing_... appeared as if it were made out of extremely oversized shark scales. It was a deep shade of purple, bordering on navy blue, but the weirdest thing about it was that it seemed to shift and ripple like a crustacean slug. Not only that, but his skin had returned to its original form. He was blue with shark gills on both cheeks. His eyes had shrunk somewhat, and their pupils were small.

"Impressive. Be sure to congratulate your scientist. He did a good job imitating our releases. Any ordinary Shinigami probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

Kisame grinned and swung the cleaver over his head and rested it on his shoulder. "Thanks, I'll be sure to tell him. Now, let's see how well this baby works against your Shikai again."

"If you insist." Komamura brought his blade up and shouted, "**Tenken!**" He slashed downward and the same disembodied sword hand came crashing down.

This time, Kisame batted it away, rather easily. The impact sent debris everywhere, and when it had all settled, there stood Kisame with a pleasant grin on his face. "So that's it."

He charged and slashed sideways, which Komamura was able to block. He was unprepared for water to seep out of the sword and rush past his stopped blade. The liquid crashed into his face plate, shattering the wood and making him stumble back. He pulled away what little was left of his mask, revealing his canine face.

"Wow! I wasn't expecting that. I was thinking something hideous and disgusting, but here I see you have a wolf's face… Nice! That means so far we have a fox, shark, venus fly-trap, and now a wolf. Technically I guess we also have a raccoon, a cat, and ox with octopus tentacles, and a turtle."

The Seventh captain quirked an eyebrow. "Do they all have features of those animals, like you?" Kisame shook his head. "No, though some do and others can. For people like Kirābī, Yugito, Yuukimaru, Gaara and Naruto, they can change their looks from human to animal and back. Me and Zetsu can't; were stuck like this."

Komamura had to ask. "Are you treated well? I mean, like any other person?"

Kisame quickly nodded. "Oh yeah! Well, as well as one who was part of a terrorist organization can be. Same for Zetsu, though, I think he gets along with the others better, somehow."

"What about the others?" Komamura added.

"They get along fine. Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?" Kisame cocked his head to the side slightly as he asked. Komamura turned his head to the side. "Well…"

"Ohhh! I see how it is! You have self confidence issues. That's why you wore the helmet isn't it?"

Komamura coughed and nodded. Kisame planted Samehada in the ground and plopped himself down. "Ah geez. You might as well sit. This wasn't supposed to be a therapy lesson, but something tells me you need it."

* * *

Naruto and Hinata lay together beside the hot spring. Yoruichi had fetched some sleeping bags and pillows for them, and immediately returned to Ichigo's training. If they woke up, she'd know. However, they were still unconscious. But somehow, in that strange state where the subconscious rules, their minds meet, and they dream together, of their past.

* * *

The whole village was celebrating. But what surprised Naruto he most was that they were celebrating _him! _For the first time in his life, he felt genuinely happy. Everywhere he looked, everyone was cheering him, congratulating him. A whole bunch of kids, along with Konohamaru and his teammates, Udon and Moegi were throwing him up in the air, and he was powerless to stop them.

Having just exerted the energy he did, he had to be carried back to the village by Kakashi, who was miraculously alive, though Naruto knew it was from Nagato's final technique. As soon as they stopped throwing him though, Sakura came up and hit him the head, scolding him for his idiocy. Before he could utter a remark, his head fell forward onto her shoulder, and then hugged him, thanking him. She was near to tears as she said it, and Naruto smiled at her. He then proceeded to walk among the crowd of people around him, taking in all he could of this treatment.

He was grinning from ear to ear as he gazed around him. Everyone was so excited to see him! He was getting cheers, hugs, slaps on the back… it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. But it wasn't long before his eyes spotted a certain someone among the crowd. It was Hinata. She had a smile on her face as she watched him. A memory flashed through his mind. Right before he went Six, and eventually Eight Tails on Pain; it had been the trigger of it actually. It came back to him in a flash. He and rapidly made his way toward her.

Hinata noticed his sudden change in direction and began to get nervous. _'Naruto-kun's coming! What do I do? Does he remember what happened? Will he hate me for what I said?' _She couldn't help but think these thoughts as Naruto pushed his way through the crowd to get to her. _'He has a serious face… He's not even smiling. Now you've done it Hinata, you made him hate you!'_ She began to sweat as he approached her, inch by inch, foot by foot.

She cursed herself for her own stupidity, for telling him that she loved him when he was in the middle of a fight... Unshed tears welled in her eyes. She brought her hands together and interlocked her fingers together. _'Sakura-san gave him a hug, and he accepted it. He must love her more, just like always… He's probably coming over to say he can't love me back.'_

She closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling. And as soon as she had the courage to open them again, Naruto was only five feet away. Now she could see the details of Naruto's face. His face was still serious, but she could see concern in his eyes rather than dislike or spite. _'He thinks I'm weak, so he's coming over to baby me. I guess I should be thankful, father only thinks I'm weak. He doesn't help me at all…'_ She lowered her head at his approach, and when the footsteps stopped, she felt a pair of hands grip her shoulders.

"Hinata, are you all right?" Hinata gulped and nodded. "I-I'm fine Naruto-kun. What about you? You look tired."

Naruto shook his head. "I'll be fine. Hinata…?" She looked up at him. "Hinata, normally when I… lose myself, I have amnesia of the event, and of the events before it." Hinata's eyes went wide. _'T-then does that mean he doesn't remember?'_

"But…" She snapped back to reality. "…This time, I remember everything." Her pupils shrank slightly. "S-so you remember_ everything…?_"

Naruto nodded. "Everything." There was a moment of silence for both of them. Hinata as the information sank in, Naruto as he worked up the nerve to say, after a minute, "H-Hinata-chan? Is everything you said, true?"

Hinata gulped again. This was the moment of truth. She quickly nodded and looked him straight in the eye. "Hai, Naruto-kun. It's true, every bit of it!" Naruto slumped his head down and sighed. Hinata immediately thought the worst. _'I knew it! He hates me! He doesn't want me to love him. He loves Sakura-chan, not me.'_ Before these thoughts could continue, Naruto spoke. "Have I really made that much of a difference in you?"

She nodded. "H-hai… I wouldn't say so if it weren't true." She felt like crying, but she wouldn't look weak in front of Naruto, even if he didn't love her. But when she heard something that sounded awfully like a sniffle, she looked at his head. She couldn't see his face, but she could have sworn she saw a shiny object fall from it. She couldn't believe it. _'Is Naruto actually… crying?'_ But before she could say anything, she was enveloped by a hug. She was too startled to do anything.

"Thank you Hinata… Thank you!" She didn't need to use her Byakugan to know that he was crying. His voice was cracking, and her shoulder was wet from the tears streaming down his face. She suddenly realized what this meant. _'He… He actually thanked me… Then, then I did something good!'_ She wasn't exactly comfortable with it, but she wrapped her own arms around him, despite the deep red blush that forced its way to her face. She could hear his smothered words in her ear, but the words were so soft _only_ she could hear them.

"Hinata, all my life, I wanted to be acknowledged by everyone, but no one did. I'm an orphan; there was never anyone in my life who loved me, not the way a person should be. I never thought there would be a person like that. But now, now she showed herself to me, and I never want to let her go!" Her breath caught in her chest. _'Wha-what is he saying? Is he saying he…?'_ The thought came at the same time as the words.

"I'm happy, I'm mad at myself, I'm thankful, I'm scared, and I'm confused. But through it all, one feeling is screaming out at me." She held her breath as he spoke those next four words. "I love you, Hinata!" She could no longer hold her tears in, but these were no longer sad tears. No; these were tears of joy that so easily broke from her eyes.

"Oh, Naruto!" They both tightened their grip on the other. Her slim fingers dug into his jacket and pressed into his skin, while his arms wrapped around her back, pressing her into his chest. Neither was going to let go anytime soon.

"Now that I think about it, you've always been standing there, watching me. I was just too stupid to notice. But when you stood between me and Pain, when you said that… It was like a wakeup call. And when he hurt you… I felt an unbearable sadness. I've never felt so angry, so upset, and so _vengeful_ in my life! I realized you had loved me from the beginning, and now that I knew… The one person who ever loved me just got hurt. I couldn't contain myself. I'm sorry…"

She swallowed the excess saliva that had accumulated in her mouth and shuddered as his breath slid across her neck. She smiled happily. "If you went into that state because of me, then I'm thankful. It gave you the edge you needed to win. You shouldn't be sorry, I should. I should have told you sooner, but I was just so shy, I could never bring myself to say it. Because of that, you went through your life empty when it should have been full. But now, now all I want to do is love you Naruto-kun!"

"That makes one of us. You can love me all you want, but I'm going to love you more!" Naruto said this playfully, though the tears still ran down his face, soaking her jacket as she soaked his.

A round of clapping and whistling went up from around them, but neither of them noticed. They were caught up in their own little world. Both pulled away from each other and Naruto got up under Hinata and forced her on his back, by which he picked her up. She squealed in surprise but smiled when she was settled. Naruto grinned up at her.

"Let's go find someplace private." She smiled and nodded her approval. He walked toward the relief center where there were tents and small structures were being set up as temporary residence for the whole of the Konoha community. The large crowed followed him back as well.

Many of Naruto's friends were with them too. Kakashi-sensei, Chouji, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, supported by his dad, Sakura, Neji, TenTen, Lee, Gai-sensei, Kiba, Kurenai-sensei, along with practically all the clan members for each with them. Each one of them were happy to see him, and prouder to know him.

Those who hadn't seen him initially had met up with him on the way. Some, including Neji, TenTen, Ino, Lee, and Kiba, were curious, suspicious and, needless to say, surprised to see Hinata anywhere near Naruto without fainting, let alone riding on his back.

Said love-struck girl had a pleasant, content face on as she rested her head on his shoulder. Kiba had eventually said, "Um, Hinata, why is Naruto carrying you? Are you hurt?" Hinata blushed slightly but shook her head with a smile.

"No, I'm not hurt Kiba…" She thought it best not to mention the fact she had almost been killed earlier until later.

Naruto finished for her. "…Were just in love." The group's awestruck expressions and comical reactions caused Naruto and Hinata to laugh.

Kiba tripped over his own feet and face planted. He got up coughing dust.

Before he could say anything, Ino got a "WTF?!?!" expression and tripped over Kiba.

TenTen's face was utter astonishment. All she could do was point at the two and mutter a few incomprehensible words.

Shino simply said, "…I knew it."

For once, Lee was speechless. Normally he would go on this spiel of how they were in the springtime of their youth, and how they were spending it well and stuff. Nope, not this time!

Neji felt incredibly lightheaded all of a sudden.

Sakura smiled lightly at them. In truth, she was a little torn up inside. She didn't know why, but she felt envious toward Naruto and Hinata.

Kurenai looked at Hinata with a mixture of surprise and happiness. She knew Hinata liked Naruto, but she never thought she would work up the nerve to tell him. Thus the happiness.

Shikamaru was surprised, but not overly. He already knew that Naruto went Kyuubi when Hinata fell trying to protect him. That meant that she had obviously become precious to him at some point without him noticing, so it wasn't much of a surprise for them to announce it.

Chouji smiled happily at the two love-struck teens.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, his right eye becoming a U shape. Typical him.

Naruto and Hinata blushed fiercely at the assorted reactions from their friends and teachers. Kiba got up from under Ino and pointed at the two with a comical face. "H-H-Hinata, are you serious?!?! You're going out with Naruto?!"

Ino got up and made the same expression and pose. "N-N-Naruto, are you serious?!?! You're going out with Hinata?!"

Naruto and Hinata both just nodded at them with a face that said, "What's so surprising about it?"

Hinata was brave enough to mutter under breath to Naruto, "Well, it's probably more than just a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship…" Naruto smiled, blushed and nodded.

However, that line was heard by all those behind them, despite Hinata's low voice. All the kids donned a blush, even Kurenai. Gai and Kakashi continued smiling, while Gai actually laughed (not at them; with them). Neji fell over backwards. Concerned, TenTen and Lee rushed back to him. TenTen concluded that he had indeed fainted. Lee, probably a bit too enthusiastically, agreed to carry him to the shelters.

When they eventually arrived, the first thing they did was separate into groups to help the civilians find everything they needed while they were living in these makeshift buildings and tents. Kurenai took Shino and Kiba with her, and when Hinata was about to go with her team, Kurenai shook her head.

"No Hinata, you don't have to come with us this time. Something tells me you don't want to anyway, right?" Her sensei threw her a wink and Hinata blushed slightly and nodded an affirmative. Kurenai smiled and Hinata hugged her in thanks.

Kurenai hugged her back and then broke to lead her other two students to their respective jobs. Hinata walked ran back to Tsunade's tent where Naruto was. Sakura just finished explaining how Tsunade was in a coma and would have to wake up on her own. Naruto had a sad face on as he looked at the Hokage's aged face.

Hinata knew Naruto needed comfort, especially now, but even though they were together, she had no idea what to do. She walked up beside Naruto and glanced down at his slightly clinched fist. She blushed and turned her face away slightly as she reached down and wrapped her own fingers within his own. He quickly looked from Tsunade to her. Noticing her blush, and blushing himself, he tightened his grip on her hand, encouraging her action.

They both smiled at each other. Naruto nodded at Tsunade's comatose form. "She'll wake up. There's no way she'd die like this." Hinata nodded to him. After telling Sakura to take good care of her, they both headed out. By this point, it was getting dark, and Naruto just realized he had no shelter. He sighed realizing that with the way the village was treating him, he would no doubt get the largest tent available.

Not that he didn't like being treated like a hero, it's just he wasn't used to it. The sigh was heard by his companion. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked at her and smiled sheepishly. "Well, it's just I kinda don't have a place to stay, and I don't really want to bother everyone by asking." Hinata frowned at that. Suddenly, a small notion went up in her mind. She wasn't sure if it would be ok or not, but she proposed it anyway, regardless.

"W-well Naruto-k-kun, you c-could stay with m-my clan for a while." Naruto hesitated for a moment. "A-are you sure Hinata? Is that really ok?"

Hinata nodded. "My otou-san, and maybe a few of the Main family elders might not like it, but the Branch family would definitely allow you. Besides, if word got out that the Hyuuga refused to house Konoha's hero, bad things would happen, so I'm sure he'd let you."

Naruto sweat-dropped a little, but smiled. "Thanks Hinata-chan. By the way, are your parents ok with me being your boyfriend? I mean, I'm just a nobody…" He turned aside slightly.

Hinata looked downcast at the ground. "My okaa-san died when my sister was born, and my dad doesn't know that I have feelings for you. If he did, at the time, he probably would have…"

"…Would have what?"

She quickly put on a fake smile and held up her unoccupied hand. "Oh, nothing, nothing! But I don't think it will take long for him to figure it out once he and my sister come back, not with all the rumors that are going to be circling around."

Naruto donned a concerned face. "Hinata, what happens if he doesn't approve of us?" Hinata's face was serious as well.

"He'll probably forbid us from seeing each other, at least."

Naruto shook his head. "That's not what I meant." Hinata looked at him curiously.

"I meant, what will he do to you if he finds out?" Naruto looked her in the eyes as he asked. His eyes were narrowed, and his hand gripped tighter to hers. Hinata looked down and scuffed her foot at the dirt path. "Lock me up, beat me, disown me, refuse me any and all privileges that come with being a Hyuuga. But he could do so much more…" She clutched at her right side for a moment as tears began to drip from her eyes.

Naruto looked infuriated. He grabbed her by the shoulders and firmly held onto her. "Has he done that before?" Hinata closed her eyes and nodded weakly. She looked down ashamedly, the tears streaming down her face.

Naruto quickly pulled her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder as he rubbed his hand up and down her back, soothing her. "Then were not going back there. I won't do it, not if it means you get hurt." She pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes.

"B-but, if my dad finds out-"

"-He'll answer to me!" Hinata was astonished. Only an hour or so ago had Naruto made their relationship official, and yet he was as protective of her as if she was his wife. That thought made her blush despite herself.

Naruto continued. "I've spent my whole life looking for someone to love me like I deserved. Now that I've found her, I'll be Damned if anything short of death separates us!"

Hinata buried herself into his arms. She was so happy that Naruto was this loyal, and only prayed he would stay that way forever. Naruto broke the hug after an all too short eternity. He then led her down the road to where the temporary shelters were being set up. He quickly located Yamato and informed him of his predicament.

"Oh? And you think that just because you beat Pain, the leader of Akatsuki and saved Konoha, that I'm going to build you a house just because you ask for it?" Yamato teased him.

Naruto gave him a peeved look. "Well you got to build the houses anyway, might as well build one more. Besides, it's not just for me. Hinata needs a place to stay too."

Hinata bowed slightly to Yamato. "Sorry to trouble you so much." Yamato sighed and smiled at her. "Hey hey, its fine. I was going to do it anyway. Naruto's a regular hero now anyway, he deserves it!" he smiled warmly at the two before flipping through the necessary hand signs and slamming his hand onto the ground.

"**Mokuton: Shichūka no Jutsu**!" From the ground sprung wooden poles and walls segments that interlocked with each other to form a very elaborate two story house. Naruto's eye widened. "You didn't have to go that far Yamato-taicho."

Yamato laughed. "Well, the hero of Konoha needs a decent house to live in! Not that old apartment you used to have." Naruto smiled and thanked Yamato before creating a platoon of kage bunshin and sent them off to get what supplies they needed. He quickly rushed to the door where Hinata stood, having waited for him to see the house first.

He opened the double front door and looked inside. It was dark, but there was enough light outside to see the house for what it was worth.

As soon as you walk in there was a large entry hall. At the other end of the room was a door that led outside to the back, which Yamato had been so kind as to fence off, leaving them with a very spacious yard. On the right of the front door was a sliding door that led to a type of common room and off the side of that was a bathroom. If you went to the end of the hallway, it opened up into a large room with one end obviously set up to be a kitchen. The other end was probably some sort of family room.

To the left of the entry hall were some stairs that led to the upstairs. Once upstairs there were four doors. Two led to a pair of identical sized rooms, likely guest bedrooms. The next was a large room, probably the main bedroom. On the right of the room was a wide open doorway that led to a small secondary kitchen. On the left of the room was a full bathroom with enough space to accommodate probably three or four people. Off to the left, but on the back wall was another pair of double doors that led out onto a balcony that overlooked what would become the new Konohagakure. The final room was a spare room big enough for multipurpose use.

All in all, it was a beautiful setup and an easy to navigate layout. The fact that even though it was spars, it still held a homey feel to it was a bonus. A pair of the clones arrived just as the original and Hinata had finished their tour of the house. The two clones had gotten lights and food while the other three were getting what furniture they could.

In the mean time Naruto had settled down and began talking with Hinata. "So Hinata, how long exactly have you been interested in me?" Hinata thought for a moment.

"I'm pretty sure it was five weeks and two days into the first year at the academy. I remember because it was a Thursday. I hadn't really paid attention to you until we were doing shuriken practice one day. I hadn't been doing so well and felt unmotivated to even try that time. But when I saw a young boy in my class miss almost every time, but still go at it, I was intrigued. That was you Naruto." She smiled and her cheeks took on a light pink pigment.

Naruto's eyes widened. "That long?! How could you have been interested in me for that long and yet still have the same level of feelings for me the whole time?!" Hinata shrugged.

"Well they weren't at the same level the entire time. In fact, I'm sure they got stronger as time went on." She chuckled slightly as Naruto's jaw dropped. "As for why I held on for this long is because…" She smiled to herself at the thought. "Someone I watched that day taught me never to give up. I realized that that didn't just apply to physical motives."

Naruto was astonished. That she had held on to those feelings for that long, while he had been blind to all of them... It amazed him. "Wow… But, why me? Why weren't you infatuated with Sasuke like every other girl?"

Hinata thought back, remembering her reason. "Because, like you, I failed at what I did. Sasuke excelled at everything. He was a genius. But it was you who taught me how to persevere. That was a quality I became intoxicated with. Sasuke didn't have what I was looking for. Sure he may have been handsome, but it simply wasn't what I needed."

She chuckled as she looked at Naruto's awestruck face. "But in the end, I think I made the right choice."

At this point the other bunshin appeared with the requested supplies. They had been able to get only a few necessities: A bed, a few spare blankets, and a few pillows. Naruto ordered the group to set everything up as best they could while he and Hinata went to get dinner.

Naruto got up and offered a hand to Hinata, which she accepted. Closing the door behind them, they went down to the small marketplace. Residents from all around who had heard of Konoha's tragedy had come to sell their goods in an improvised "market street". Surprisingly, they were doing very well for themselves, and many a citizen was there, buying food for their next meal.

Naruto was offered food like none other just from simply walking through the place. People who had heard about his heroic deed were ecstatic to see him. Naruto wanted to buy it from them, but they insisted he have it. Thanking them, and taking only what he needed, he and Hinata headed back to the house.

By the time they reached it, it was completely dark, except for the lights that his clones had set up in the windows. Naruto politely opened the door for Hinata, though awkwardly, not being used to either getting or giving such treatment.

Hinata smiled and thanked him. When the door was shut behind them, Naruto's clones took the few bags of food and put them in iced buckets. The buckets they placed in a cellar, which Yamato had created in the downstairs kitchen until they installed electricity.

Realizing the time, Naruto and Hinata went upstairs to the bedrooms. A clone downstairs quickly leapt up to stop them. It then leaned in and whispered into Naruto's ear. Naruto grew beat red as the clone had only a light pigment on. The clone nodded, as if saying, "Every bit of its true."

Hinata, unfortunately for our blond hero, noticed this. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Naruto was quick to reply. "N-no, nothing's wrong! It's just I remembered I was supposed to meet with Kakashi-sensei earlier, but I forgot. He'll forgive me I'm sure. Anyway, this is your room. I'll be in this one." He indicated to the master bedroom and then to one of the spare rooms. Hinata nodded and bid him goodnight, momentarily buying the "meeting Kakashi" alibi.

Once the door was closed, she waited until she heard his own door close before looking at the room given to her. It was spars, considering that furniture was hard to come by, but it had the bed Naruto had gotten, and a few candles over on a dresser of sorts that included a mirror. Looking around, she walked over and patted the bed, feeling its softness.

Deeming it suitable, she then began to disrobe. As she took off her sweater, she looked at the fishnet shirt she wore underneath. She held her hand to the small rip in it. She took it off as well, along with the pale grey shirt beneath that.

She tuned to the mirror and looked at the small scar that resided on her upper right chest. The stab from Pain had nicked the bottom of her right breast and imbedded itself in her right lung. He traced the scar for a moment before sighing.

She plopped down on the bed. She grinned to herself. _'It's not a bad day. I proclaim my love to Naruto and he _accepts! _I get hurt and Naruto gets angry. Naruto beats the Akatsuki leader and that leader brings everyone who died back from the dead. The only really damage was to the village, and to those who weren't already dead. The ones who had wounds didn't get healed. Seems like the ones who died got it better off… But still, I'm finally going out with _Naruto!_'_

She practically squealed in delight as she replayed that thought over and over in her mind. She took off her navy pants and laid them over the dresser along with her shirts. She looked in the mirror again, clothed only in her panties and bra.

Now, it's not like she's never thought about this, but she actually had a reason to now.

Hinata looked at her body, twisting this way and that to get a good look at herself. She stood straight again and cupped her breasts with both hands frowning. _'I must have grown another size in the last few months. This size bra won't hold me for much longer at this rate.'_

She blushed as she repeated the question that had plagued her since she started her rapid breast growth half a year after Naruto left. _'I… I wonder if Naruto-kun will like them or not. He was always interested in Sakura, and she was flat. And I've always hidden mine under my jacket…'_

Since that fateful day she noticed her own growth, she had gone through four sizes, meaning that her breasts were pushing firmly against their taught bindings. She pouted slightly at her body. _'I wish I had more to give Naruto… Now that he likes me as a person, will he like my body?'_

She blushed at her own improperness. _'If otou-san knew I thought things like this, he'd kill me.'_ She solemnly thought. It was probably true. The only reason her father would want her caring about her figure is so that she would be easy to marry off. That was one reason she hid her figure behind all the cloths; if she displayed her body, then other men might be interested, and if her father married her off to someone other than Naruto… She didn't want to think about what she'd do.

She quickly unlatched her bra and threw it over onto the rest of her cloths. She sighed as her breasts fell freely from their bindings. They were simply too restricting at this point. She pushed her right breast out of the way to examine the scar that was directly below it. It was small, but it was still noticeable. Would Naruto notice? _'Would he care?'_

She sighed again and slipped under the covers, the cool sheets making her shiver as her body warmed them up. Despite her exhausted state, she simply couldn't fall asleep, excitement of being with Naruto overbearing her tiredness. Rolling over she closed her eyes and did her best to sleep, but instead, it merely gave her time to think. One thing that popped into her mind was actually surprising.

_'I only remember Naruto bringing one bed. If this is the bed, then what's he sleeping on?'_ Silently asking for forgiveness, she activated her Byakugan and looked at the room next to her. Naruto was lying down with his arms behind his head. She noticed briefly that he was only wearing a shirt and boxers and did her best to keep her eyes both "above and outside the belt" so to speak. He was lying on a sheet that had been folded twice to provide insulation, and had only one pillow. She was taken aback by how generous Naruto was.

_'So that's what his clone must have told him. No wonder he was so embarrassed… But, even so, he still sleeps with a smile on his face.'_ His smile became infectious and invaded itself onto her face. She couldn't help it, but Naruto was "the one" for her, and everything he did made her smile (if she didn't faint first).

And with these happy thoughts, she finally fell asleep.

* * *

Kyuubi growled in his cage. **"Something's happening… It's changing."** He looked around for the change he had sense and found it right in front of him. The sewer that was this boy's soul was dryer than usual, with only an inch of water, rather than the usual half foot. There before the cage was a mound of dirt, but what amazed him was a flower blooming from its center; a daisy. Never in the sixteen years of his imprisonment see such a thing in this cesspool. The Soul reflected the life the person had, whether it be figurative or physical.

Something must have happened for such a phenomenon to occur. Forgetting his grumbles about the Fourth Hokage returning and not fighting him, he just stopped and stared at it. What surprised him the most was his left paw unconsciously reaching out to touch said flower. His hand recoiled instantly as soon as he noticed it moving. He growled at himself. The flower stood just outside the gate that barred him.

Thinking for a moment he sent a flow of chakra out to consume the flower, but instead of a shield that defended it, or the flower withering, it seemed to bloom even more. Then he felt a backlash of energy surge through the flower and into his own chakra, sending direct information straight to his brain.

He cringed and growled as he felt the knowledge imprint itself into his memory. **_'It's… Impossible! Someone other than the brat is compatible with my power? Who…? Who is it?!'_** The Kyuubi growled in his cage as he tried corrupting the flower instead of destroying it, but it glowed a white sheen of light, and the red chakra surrounding it shattered like glass, returning to the owner.

Kyuubi growled at the flower. As odd as it seemed, the flower seemed to be able to break his hold over his own chakra. So in real life… **"This flower… The brat has found someone to suppress me. Damn… DAMN IT!!"**

* * *

The next morning came all too quickly. Naruto awoke to find the sun shining on his face from the window facing east. He raised his hand to block the hostile rays of light from his eyes. "Nnnn… Not now sun. Five more minutes…" But the sun paid no heed to his pleas. Finally forcing himself up he stretched out his back, which was stiff from having slept the whole night on a doubled up sheet rather than a bed.

Wait, why had he slept on a sheet in the first place? He looked around and he found himself in an unfamiliar place. Early morning amnesia… aint it grand? But, just like all EMA, the previous night came back to him in a flash. "Oh Kami…" The words escaped his mouth, which then hung limp as the realization set in.

_'I'm dating Hinata… And I'm in LOVE with her! OH MY GOD!!!'_ He felt excitement well up within him. He felt like whooping for joy, and was about to before he realized that Hinata was only mere feet away from him, even if it was through a wall; it would be rude to wake her up. He got up and put his pants back on, but opted to just wear his black t-shirt instead of his vest. He felt around his neck and noticed that the necklace Tsunade had given him so long ago was missing. Of course, he remembered crushing it when it had turned out to be the cause of a failsafe seal.

It felt weird to not have it on since he'd worn it for three years. But he didn't want to dwell on that right now. Not when he was so happy. He quickly walked out of his room and looked around. Light was beginning to shine in every window on the front of the house, since it faced east, and was filling the room with golden sunlight. He looked over and saw Hinata's door still closed. Pressing his ear to the door he heard nothing.

_'Must still be asleep I guess.'_ He smiled as he pictured Hinata sleeping, but it quickly turned into a blush. Shaking it off he quietly went downstairs and summon s group of clones, which he sent off to fix some breakfast, being sure not to make ramen this time, however much it pained him. He wasn't sure if Hinata even liked ramen, so he decided to go with a regular meal. He had everything he needed from the previous night too: Fruits vegetables, bread, butter, miscellaneous condiments, juice and milk.

He did fix Zenzai (Red bean soup) though, which he figured everyone loved. He wanted to do this for Hinata for some reason. Despite his usual laziness, he felt compelled by some unknown force to do this for her. While the clones, minus one who went to get a cook book real quick, got to work on the food, Naruto sat down in a meditative position, not gathering, but feeling the natural energy around him. Somehow, being one with nature also calmed you down.

It was about an hour later that he heard the upstairs door open. He opened his eye to see Hinata fully dressed in the previous day's attire. He smiled at her and she returned it. Naruto got up and walked over to her leading her to the kitchen.

"I already made breakfast for us. What's on the menu guys?" The three clones looked up from their work and replied, "Well, we got toast, oranges, milk, and some Zenzai for dessert."

Naruto rubbed his neck nervously. "Sorry, I'm not much of a cook. I usually just fix ramen, but I didn't know if you liked ramen or not, so I did my best in guessing what would be appropriate for a meal."

Hinata smiled at him. "It sounds good Naruto-kun. Besides, Zenzai is one of my favorite foods." Naruto sighed in relief. He then felt something on his cheek. Putting his hand to it he looked at Hinata whose face was bright red, and she was pressing her index fingers together.

He was confused for a moment before the penny dropped. _'S-s-s-she j-j-just k-_kissed_ me! Oh…'_ Naruto instantly felt woozy and swayed to the side, Hinata grabbed him quickly before he fell, which he seemed to recover from after a moment.

Hinata was actually surprised she had been able to do it without fainting herself. _'The roles seem a little reversed this time. Maybe just being this close to Naruto has changed me that much!'_

Naruto, still blushing, pulled out the chair at the table for her, which she accepted. Both of them blushed and sat down while the clones served them. They ate in silence for a moment before Hinata ate some of the Zenzai, at which point, her eyes went wide with pleasant surprise.

"Naruto-kun! This is delicious! I don't care what you think, you're a great cook!" Naruto smiled at her with his fox-like grin. "Really?! It was my first time ever cooking, if you don't count fixing ramen."

She nodded and they continued eating until the whole table had been cleared of food. Hinata leaned back in her chair and rubbed her belly. To Naruto's surprise, she ate more than _him!_ Now that was something you would want to put on your calendar. He was extremely surprised that she out-ate him; in his whole life, he had never met anyone who could eat more than him.

"Wow Hinata, you must have been hungry! You ate more than me, and that's saying something." Hinata blushed, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, at the Hyuuga estate, I was only given a certain amount of food, so even if was still hungry, I had to wait until the next meal." Naruto looked at her quizzically.

"Why were you only given so much? Didn't they care that you'd starve?" He said it in a playful tone, but she answered seriously. "My otou-san didn't want me to gain weight, so he limited how much I could eat. If I got fat, then it would be harder to marry me off, which is probably all he thinks I'm good for…"

Naruto looked at her wide eyed. "Your dad starved you cuz he thought you'd get fat?! What kind of sick bastard does that?" He scooted over to Hinata's chair and gave her a hug, pulling her close. "Don't worry, as long as you're with me you can eat all you want!" She smiled and wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Arigato Naruto-kun!" She enveloped him in a hug, pushing her face into his chest. He smiled and just let her lay like that for a few minutes. He finally broke the silence when he asked her, "So how'd you like the bed?"

She got up and nodded. "It was comfortable, but you shouldn't have given it to me. You should have used it. I would have been fine with sleeping on the floor." Naruto shook his head at her.

"I may not have had parents to teach me politeness, but I know that when someone saves your life, you let them have the bed." He smiled at the playful remark. Hinata looked at him oddly.

"What do mean 'saved your life'?" Naruto smiled at her.

"Well, if you hadn't jumped in to save me, Pain would have probably captured me. And when he hurt you, I got mad enough to… well, gain the edge over him."

His smiled dropped for a moment before it resumed. She noticed this and confronted him "Naruto-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"When Pain injured me, I was still slightly conscious. I remember that a second or two after he stabbed me, there was a black explosion, and then… a whole lot of red. I remember you were covered in it, but my vision was so fuzzy that I couldn't tell if I was seeing things."

Naruto's smile dimmed down to a frown and he bowed his head and looked at the table. "It's not something I like to talk about…" She put her hand on his arm, consoling him to continue. "Sixteen years ago, the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the village. The Yondaime Hokage was said to have destroyed it. At least, that's what our generation was told. Those who were too old to believe that lie knew the truth; that it had instead been sealed into a newborn baby. The Nine-Tailed fox was immortal. It couldn't be killed, and no normal object could contain it. So it had to be a new born."

Hinata nodded for him to continue. Her father had told her the truth that the fox had been sealed into a person, but she didn't know it was a baby. Her father also never told her who either, for it was forbidden to speak of it.

Naruto looked down dejectedly and closed his eyes. "The day of the attack was October 10th, the same day I was born." Hinata thought for a moment before gasping and holding her hands over her mouth. Naruto had expected that reaction, it wasn't anything new. He folded his hands in his lap and waited for Hinata to say something, anything.

Though he didn't show it, he was torn up inside about her possible reactions. She might run away in fear, she might accept him, though probably not. He waited for her reaction.

In her mind though, different things were running through her mind. _'So that's why everything was red! That's also why Naruto was always shunned by the villagers… Everyone seemed to avoid him, and hate him. That must be why father didn't want me being around him.'_

Tears welled in her eyes and she quickly threw her arms around Naruto, who seemed very surprised to feel them.

"I get it now… Now I know why everyone hated you. Why everyone shunned you, why they called you a monster. But I know you Naruto-kun! You're anything but a monster!" She sobbed into his shoulder. He was so stunned, he had no idea how to react, but emotions took over and he hugged her back. Tears began to form in his eyes as well.

"Naruto-kun, no matter what happens, my heart will always be yours. I'll _always_ love you!" Acting on pure instinct she reached up and planted a kiss, full on Naruto's mouth. Naruto felt himself react to the kiss and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. She licked her tongue over his lips and they parted, letting his tongue out to play with hers.

Hinata moaned at the foreign pleasure she was receiving, as did Naruto. Neither of them had ever experienced this before. Naruto for his unpopularity, Hinata for her semi-sheltered life.

They felt the slick feeling of the other's tongue sliding across their own, sending shivers up each other's spines. Naruto's eyes closed as he put all his being into the kiss. He was amazed by how much pleasure came from such a simple action, and Hinata was the one giving it to him. She herself was in a similar state of bliss. The only hard part was mustering enough courage to put her lips to his, which wasn't so hard thanks to hormonal instinct.

Once their lips touched, it was like a spark had gone off in their minds, and everything fit into place like the pieces of a puzzle. She barely realized exactly what it was she was doing, only that whatever she did, and whatever Naruto did, felt like heaven.

Naruto finally had to pull away as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. As soon as their lips had separated, he reflexively took in a deep breath of air. He never knew kissing was so _awesome,_ and tiring. He placed his hand over his chest and could feel his heart pound against his ribcage. Hinata had a similar expression on her face, and her hand was also over her chest. Both were huffing and puffing like there was not enough oxygen in the world for the both of them.

Hinata looked up from her daze and looked Naruto with wide eyes. "D, did we just…?" Naruto looked at her with the same expression and slowly nodded. "Yeah… I think we did!" He continued to look at her for a moment before asking, "So, you really do love me, no matter what, no questions asked?"

She nodded forcefully. "I told you before, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true." Naruto hadn't cried so much for years. But tears just seemed to flow unbound from a massive tank hidden somewhere behind his eyes. "T-then the same goes for me! I'll love you forever! I don't care if your dad tries to separate us, he can kill me a hundred times and I'll still love you!"

He grabbed her in a hug which she responded to by squeezing him as tight as she could. Naruto got up and carried her bridal-style out the front door. She squealed in delighted surprise as he picked her up, and she rested her head firmly into his chest, feeling fulfilled in just touching him. Naruto had a smile on his face that she had never seen before. It was a smile of final contentment. Having never had this feeling of being loved with anyone, he had never expressed himself this way before.

Everything was just so new to them both. Naruto took them both into the nearby forest and leapt up into the trees. Hinata loved the feeling of the wind rushing by her, as well as the firmness of Naruto's muscles when he tensed as he leapt from branch to branch. Her teenage feelings were finally emerging. Having lived at the Hyuuga estate her entire life, with the only interaction with boys being either her family or her teammates whom she was not attracted to, her teenage hormones had been suppressed for too long. Finally, they were emerging to the surface.

She closed her eyes and rested her left hand on his chest as he launched himself through the forest. She also had a content smile on her face, with only the faintest blush present. Naruto felt her hand rest on his chest, and blushed a bit deeper than her. These feelings and actions they both exhibited were drawn from pure instinct and feelings. They no longer acknowledged their own inhibitions or the other's, but acted as they felt they needed to.

Naruto finally stopped at a peaceful clearing in the forest. It wasn't big, but it was flat, with flowers blooming in the early spring weather. The grass was covered in a deep green moss that made the surrounding vegetation aged in appearance. Hinata looked at it as Naruto let her down. It was if it was out of a painting. It was beautiful. She walked up the center of it carefully, and after gazing in amazement at the gorgeous forestry, she turned back to Naruto and looked at him in shocked wonder.

"Naruto-kun, when did you find this place?" Naruto smiled wide as he replied. "It was a while ago. I was _supposed _to be running errands for Kakashi-sensei, but got kinda distracted. I ended up wandering around here for a while and I fell in love with the place."

She smiled and turned back to the scenery. Naruto looked at her and grinned as big as he could. _'There's so much she hasn't gotten to experience because her family's so protective, if you can really call them that. But she loves nature; I have to remember that from now on.' _He sighed as he watched her walk around the old trees nearby, the early morning sunlight shining off her pale skin.

_'Man, how could I have missed her all this time? I mean, I'm a guy, so obviously I would be attracted to pretty girls, but how on EARTH did I miss _her!?_ *Sigh*, oh well, she's mine now, and that's what matters most.'_ He laughed to himself for a moment, catching Hinata's attention.

"What's so funny Naruto-kun?" Naruto just waved it off. "Aw nuthin'. Hey, why don't we go into town and see how the area's coming along?" She smiled and nodded. "But only if you carry me there."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, but consented anyway. He grinned as she got on his back and he lifted off into the trees. The entire way there, Hinata was fiddling with his golden locks. It wasn't annoying like he thought it might be, but he actually enjoyed it. Having someone who actually gave you physical attention was also nice.

Half way back, Naruto felt someone approaching. He quickly stopped and put Hinata down, earning surprised and slightly concerned look from her. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Her question was answered by Neji landing on a tree branch some five feet away. "There you are Naruto, Hinata-sama. Hiashi-sama has returned with your sister. I thought I'd give you both the heads-up since, well, you know."

Naruto nodded. "Thanks Neji, I owe you one." Neji smirked and nodded, leaping back into the trees. Hinata looked concernedly at Naruto. "Otou-san will probably wonder why I'm not staying at with the rest of the family…"

Naruto frowned at her. "I don't like the idea of you staying with him. Maltreatment and abuse are not things that you should willingly head back to."

She fake smiled and shook her head. "It's not that bad, really! He's just a little strict…" Naruto frowned even more. "Hinata, I told you, I wasn't going to let you get hurt again. Letting you go back while knowing what he could do to you, especially when he finds out about us, would be the same as my giving him the OK to hurt you. I'm not doing it."

Hinata frowned as well and looked down worriedly. Naruto dropped his head slightly. "I'll tell you what Hinata. You go back and tell him you're staying at a friend's house rather than the rest of the family. If he says ok, then were good for the time being. At least that way, if he finds out about us and doesn't like it, which is most likely, then you'll be with me. He wouldn't dare try and hurt you while I'm around. If he doesn't want you staying at another person's house, then you pack up what you can get and bring it to my house. If you think he's going to hurt you, don't bother with the stuff but head back right away! Understand?"

She nodded and gave him a hug. He returned it, gripping her back and holding her tightly to him. Eventually having to let go, Naruto decided it best for him to go home and wait for Hinata. Hinata continued her way back to the temporary town on her own, feeling slightly torn having to leave Naruto after just starting to get to know him.

* * *

The trip back proved uneventful, and Hinata was able to easily locate her father heading toward the area set aside for the Hyuuga clan. She got there in record time too. She was packing up a few things from the quarters that had been set aside for her. She was half way done when her father opened the door; she smiled and bowed respectfully to him. "Otou-san welcome back. I hope your trip went well."

Hiashi sighed. "It would have gone better if I hadn't found out Konoha had been attacked and destroyed by the leader of the Akatsuki. I hope you didn't get in the way, did you?" Hinata frowned and lowered her head.

"Well, I fought against him for a moment, but I was easily beaten. Juuken was unsuited for fighting his technique." Hiashi sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then looked behind her at the bag. "What is that for?"

Hinata faked a smile and looked back slightly at the half packed bag. "Oh, this. I was going to stay at a friend's house for a few days. They offered." Hiashi grunted lowly and narrowed his eyes. Hinata did her best to keep her face calm under her father's scrutiny. She had practiced over the years and had gotten pretty good at it. But the blush on her face couldn't be helped, and with Hiashi being a master of the Byakugan, and subsequently a master at detecting lies from facial expressions and body language… To barrow a cliché, but fitting phrase, _"Resistance was futile."_

"You're not telling the whole truth Hinata. What are you leaving out?" She kept up her fake masquerade and pleasantly responded, "Nothing. As I said, a friend offered for me to stay at their house for a while." She mentally cursed herself for her inability to hide her blush.

Hiashi sighed again, but this time wasn't out of annoyance. She knew this sigh very well; it was a sigh of disappointment. "Hinata, you're a terrible liar. You may be saying the truth, but you're being very vague, and something tells me it's on purpose. Why don't we try being specific like a big girl? _Whose_ house are you staying at?"

Hinata shook her head. "You don't know them, even if I did say their name."

Hiashi was growing impatient. Noticing the blush, he grew suspicious. "Is the person you're staying with a boy or a girl?" Hinata shifted her eyes away slightly, but returned them to their downward-cast state only a second after.

"It's a girl. Her name is TenTen." Hiashi's eyes became harsh as he recognized the obvious lie. Either she was lying about it being a boy, or she was lying about it being this TenTen character. At any rate, he was becoming irritated very fast.

"That's a lie Hinata. I want the truth; where are you going?!" Hinata bit her lip but kept up her lie. "I told you, I'm going to TenTen's house for a few days!" Hiashi rushed up to her and shoved her up against the wall, holding her arm against it with his own.

"No! You were lying just then. Now, you were either lying about whom you're going to be staying with, or you were lying about it being a girl. Now, which is it?!" Hinata clinched her eyes. Either way he was going to find out something somehow, but she wasn't going to say it was Naruto. If she did, Hiashi might attack him, despite his status as "hero".

"…It's a boy…"

Hiashi gripped her arm even tighter. It hurt, but she was not going to whimper in front of him. "Who? What's his name?!" She closed he eyes and braced herself.

"I can't tell you."

"You _will_ tell me!" Hiashi threw her arm down and smashed her in the side of the face, sending her spiraling into the wall.

Hinata felt blood trickle down her chin. "I won't betray him! He trusts me, and I trust him! Even if I told you, you'd only try and kill him."

Hiashi drop kicked her in the mouth, causing blood to spurt on the floor. "Don't get smart with me! Tell me, dear daughter of mine…" His voice dripped with spite and disgust. "What kind of relationship do you two have?"

Hinata slowly got up from the floor and leaned against the wall. "I, I'm not ashamed to say it… We love each other; that's the kind of relationship we have."

Hiashi grabbed her by the collar and threw her to the floor. Before she could react he kicked her in the gut so hard she coughed up blood. "Did I not just say no to get smart with me?! I suppose though, your answer prompts me to wonder… As a woman, it is your job to please the man you will someday call 'husband'. Are you intact? I will not have my daughter married off to someone as damaged goods!" He kicked again in the gut, making her cringe and curl up into herself even more.

"Well? Answer me!" Hinata clinched her teeth from the pain, but managed to squeak out, "I'm not- *Cough cough* -I'm not damaged… I'm fully intact."

She breathed heavily trying to calm away the pain. She held her stomach tightly; knowing that bruising would be evident for a while. Blood pooled from her mouth and onto the floor. She knew her father had used unorthodox Juuken attacks when he had hit her. Despite not using an actual Juuken move, he had still screwed chakra into her body, damaging her internal organs.

Hiashi frowned down at her. _'Pathetic.'_ Hiashi then walked back to the doorway and stopped. "Consider yourself lucky, daughter. If you had been damaged, I wouldn't have been responsible for would have happened to you."

He turned back to her quivering form for a moment before stating, "You're not going anywhere tonight, or any other night. If you so much as leave this room, you will be severely punished." And walked out.

Hinata shook from the pain inside her. She coughed again, spilling blood out onto the floor, which had begun to stain from the red liquid. Some had even spread onto her hair as she lay there. When she was able to think straight again, she crawled over to her bag and pulled out a small tube, with tiny puncture points on the ends. She crawled over to the small window and opened it. Whispering to the vile quietly, she opened it and a few small insects flew out. She then shut the window and struggled over to the bed. Practically collapsing on it, she curled up into a ball and cried softly, party from the pain, and partly from the emotions within her. Above all, sadness had taken root.

* * *

**A/N: "And again i say, 'WOOT!!!' I know, you hate clifies, but hey, i found i get better reviews this way. ANyway, Part 2 will be up soon. And i mean **_real_** soon! Be forwarned, the next chapter will have a lemon scene in it. (Wont say who! Heeheehee!) So all of of you pervs, i'd suggest you tune in next time!" **

**"What? I never said i wasn't one either. Anyway, if you have comment's questions, or complaints, please send them to me, i'd love to hear them."**

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: The Past Pt 2

**A/N: Phew, well i said it would be out soon, and here i am a month later apologizing. PLEASE DONT HATE ME!!! I ended up writing a bit more than expected, so here i have, as an aplogy gift, TWO CHAPTERS!!! YES!!! WHOOOOO!!!!!! Ahem, anywhoo, between getting over my writer's block, watchin Xam'd Lost Memories, both seasons of Code Geass, and writing after i got over my writers block, i've had allmost no time to myself. HOPE YOUR HAPPY!!! Yeah. **

**Btw, CONTENT WARNING!!! Yeah, this chapter has a major lemon and i think a minor one, as well as adult situations. Meh, you pervs love the stuff. So anyway, this is part 2 of my "The Past" arc. READ AND REVIEW!!!**

**_-Reiryoku (Spiritual Power)_**

**_-Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure)_**

**_

* * *

_**

**_The Past – Pt. 2_**

She woke up to the sound of tapping on her window. She got up gently, the pain still very evident in her body. Blood had dried on her face, and though she couldn't see it, deep black and blue bruising was developing on her stomach and lower chest. She had to hunch over to walk without too much pain, but she managed to get to the window and noticed her team below it. Yamato was there as well. Kiba whispered up to her, "Hinata come on, we've got to go now! Kurenai-sensei has a genjutsu up, but it won't stop them for long, hurry!"

Yamato preformed a few hand seals and the small window became suddenly very large, the bottom of the window reaching the floor so it looked like and empty doorway. She pushed through the pain and went back to her room and got the small bag of belongings, and slid it out to window in to Kiba's arms. Dropping it, he waited for her. She gently lowered herself to the floor and dropped from it to the ground. (If you haven't figured it out, she's on the second story.)

She dropped and landed with a *thunk*, her arms instantly going to her stomach where the pain shot from. Kiba was at her side in a moment. "Hinata! What's wrong?" She shook her head and struggled to get up. "I'll be fine. Just… give me a hand." Kiba obliged and He nodded to Shino. Shino in turn picked up her small bag and nodded to Yamato who closed up the now large opening, returning it to its original form.

All four leapt away, back to the rendezvous point where Kurenai was holding her hands together in the ram seal. "Alright sensei, you can drop it." She nodded as Kiba spoke and released the genjutsu. She looked questioningly at Hinata as she was being supported by her half-canine friend, but didn't say anything about it.

"Hinata, we have to get you out of here. The Genjutsu only really affected the majority of the Hyuuga, but people like your father would be able to see through it." Hinata nodded to her sensei. "Alright, take me to Naruto's. That's where he said to go, he's probably worried about me…" Yamato nodded and took over for Kiba.

He looked at them and instructed them thus: "They're going to figure it out sooner or later. I'd suggest telling Neji since he can probably help out, somehow." The other three nodded and vanished. Yamato quickly carried Hinata to Naruto's house. Rapping on the door, Naruto was quick to open it, and even quicker to let them in.

"Oh my God! Hinata, what happened?!" She grunted as Yamato shifted her body from hi back to Naruto's arms. Her eyes shut from the momentary pain. Yamato filled in for her. "Hiashi found out she was going to be staying a boy's house. He didn't like that one bit. Don't worry; I don't think she said anything about you."

Naruto clenched his teeth and gripped Hinata in his arms. She opened her eyes and saw his staring back. Without even sniffling, she pressed her head to his arm and tears flowed from her eyes.

Naruto held her close, his eyes shut in anger. Yamato got up and walked out the door. "I'll get some stuff for you to take care of her." Naruto nodded numbly. As soon as the door shut, Naruto took Hinata upstairs and gently laid her on the bed. Her eyes were half lidded and she looked over at Naruto as he looked her over. "Naruto…"

Naruto was quick to place a finger to her lips. "Don't talk Hinata. Just rest." She nodded weakly as Yamato came in with a bucket of warm water and a few cloths.

"Can you take care of her, Naruto?" Naruto nodded and thanked him. Yamato walked back out, but mentioned in a low voice. "I'm adding a lock to all the doors. You might need it just in case." Naruto nodded again as he soaked the cloth in the warm water.

Yamato sighed as he watched the two. _'A match made in heaven, destroyed on earth.'_ He walked out without another word. Naruto took the cloth and wiped Hinata's chin and cheek, wiping off the dried blood. She breathed slowly and shuddered every once and a while.

Inside, Naruto was seething.

Kyuubi's eyes opened as he saw the blond brat in his domain. He seemed to fuss continuously, over the flower that stood before him. It had lost a petal or two and was leaning over slightly. The Kyuubi again sent his chakra out to infect the boy, but found it extremely hard to do so. Eventually he got some chakra out and managed to reach the boy, bit seemed to part around him and the mound of earth in front of him.

His eyes opened wide as a small circle formed around the boy and the precious plant, a circle his chakra seemed to be kept out of. He cursed loudly and pushed harder, wiling his energy to corrupt the boy. But the plant began to glow with a hazy white light. **_'Just like before!'_**

He swore as the chakra shattered like a stained glass window. Naruto didn't seem to notice it, as if he wasn't really there. **_'Or he's ignoring me, the little pest…'_ **It was then he saw, as Naruto held his hand under the flower's head and stroked it softly, that the flower seemed to heal, slowly. The few petals it lost were growing again, and it began to stand erect as well. Kyuubi watched in mild fascination.

His eyes widened however when he saw an image from the flowers aura. A young girl appeared, lying on a small bed. She had midnight blue hair and pupil-less, lavender eyes. Pale white skin accented her hair. She seemed to be somewhat injured as well, and he could see the boy cleaning up the blood on her face.

Kyuubi looked back down at the flower, then back up the image. **_'So that's it... She's the one.'_** A deep rumbling sounded from his throat, then a chuckled, and then full blown laughter. **"Now this is something I can use…"**

Naruto sighed as he finished with the rest of the blood. He wrung out the damp cloth and hung it over the side of the bucket. He sighed as he sat on the side of the bed, rubbing his temples with his left hand and shaking his head. Hinata watched him half-consciously and grunted slightly as she tried to reposition herself so her ribs didn't ache so much. Naruto quickly had his hands on her shoulders and looked at her oddly. She lifted her left hand to reach out to Naruto but instantly recoiled to her torso as she coughed violently in pain.

Naruto was startled by the sheer force of her coughing. Her whole body convulsed when she did. More blood leaked from her lips. He looked her over. _'There must be some sort of internal damage to her somewhere. If her dad's a Juuken master, then he probably used it to hurt her. Damn bastard… But what can I do? I can't heal internal injuries! Hell, I can't even use a bandage without help!'_ Naruto didn't know what to do, so he eventually summoned a small frog and sent it after Sakura or Ino, since both knew how to heal injuries like this.

Hinata continued to clutch her side, gut and lower chest. He was so helpless and terrified at her spasming that he couldn't help his eyes watering in shame. Shame for what, he had no idea. Perhaps for just simply not being able to help her or protect her.

It had been his idea after all for her to go back. His rational mind kept trying to explain away the guilt, but his heart and souls screamed at him that it was his fault. He let his body do as it would and let his arms gently inch forward toward her shirt. Perhaps there was something her could do, perhaps there was some minor injury that he could take care of.

He placed his hands to the hem of her shirt and quickly looked at Hinata to give her ok. When she didn't look at him, her eyes squeezed shut in pain, he applied a little pressure, letting her know what he wanted to do. This act simply brought more pain to her body, and he cursed himself for his stupidity.

_'Ah, Hell with it!'_ He gently lifted her shirt up to reveal the wire-mesh shirt most shinobi wore. He lifted that up to reveal a dark gray t-shirt, and pulled that up also, slightly annoyed at her multiple layering of cloths. He grabbed the bottom of all three shirts and lifted them a few inches, exposing her soft, pale skin to the air. She gasped slightly at the chill feeling, her body having been heating up and sweating from the immense pain she was suffering through. Not noticing any damage on her lower belly, he lifted up a little farther. He sat in shock as he saw the black and blue pigmentation that adorned the majority of her stomach. He looked disgusted at the abnormal coloring. He lightly brushed his fingers over the bruised skin, earning a surprised shock from her.

She immediately used her arms to push her shirts back down, embarrassed at having her damaged skin exposed in front of him. Naruto let her cover them back up, knowing it was probably futile for him to do anything about _that._ He reached over and held Hinata's hand, gripping it ever so slightly. Hinata was aware of it and gripped it tighter, not wanting to let go.

Naruto simply sat there, gripping her hand and waiting for someone to come and help them out. That someone came in the form of Sakura, who barged in through the window on the far side of the room. "Sakura!"

"Naruto, I got your frog. He told me to meet your right away, what's wrong?" She then looked down to see the writhing Hinata. She instantly bent down to the bed and looked at Naruto for an explanation.

Naruto shook his head. "Her dad hurt her because she wouldn't tell him where she was staying. It's all up here." He motion to her torso and Sakura gently lifted her shirts to reveal the sickly looking black and blue bruise. It was borderline purple for Heaven's sake! When Hinata again felt her skin exposed she reached to push her skin down again but Sakura held her arm down.

"Hinata, it's all right. It's me Sakura. It's ok; I'm going to fix you up." She soothed her and Hinata stopped resisting. She opened her eyes slightly to see Sakura's face looking over her injured self, and Naruto looking between her injuries, to Sakura and back to her face. She winced in pain as Sakura touched the sensitive skin. Sakura looked from Hinata to Naruto.

"Naruto, I need you to hold her down, this is going to hurt a lot for her, and of she moves too much while I'm healing her, it could make things even worse." Naruto nodded.

He leaned over Hinata and held her arms down to the bed. This position made Naruto pretty much leaning over Hinata's body as if he was assaulting her somehow. He leaned his head down to her as he saw her lips move. He put his head down next to her, and was surprised to hear her repeating his name constantly, over and over.

Sakura cracked her knuckles and brought her hands together in the tiger seal. Her hands glowed green and she nodded to Naruto and placed them over Hinata's damaged stomach. Hinata cried out in pain and began to shake around, making it extremely hard for Sakura to continue, despite Naruto's suppression of her arms.

"Naruto, I need you to hold her down! She's still moving!" Naruto shook his head, biting back a retort. How was he supposed to hold down her legs when he's focusing on her arms? He knew he might regret this decision later, but he got on the bed fully and being slightly taller than Hinata, put his on legs over hers and pinned them to the mattress, but not entirely laying on top of her; leaving room for Sakura to treat her. He blushed as he thought of his predicament, but quickly shook it away. Hinata gently lifted her eye lids slightly to see Naruto pretty much laying on top of her. However, she didn't think about that but merely mumbled his name.

Naruto wanted so much to help her with the pain, but how on earth could he do that? Only one thing came to mind, and his face tinted pink for a moment. He slowly lowered his head. Lightly, he brushed his lips against hers.

She whimpered but he was surprised when he felt her flex her neck to keep contact with him. He brushed over her lips again, this time pressing a little harder. The next time, he placed his lips smack-dab on top of hers, planting a full blown kiss. This was Naruto's only way of helping her; offering a distraction to her pain. Their lips remained locked and their tongues slid out to meet each other.

This moment of mutual pain, pain of the mind and the body, cancelling each other out as love takes its place.

* * *

Kyuubi watch as the flower seemed to offer a projection of the outside world, like a movie screen. He grinned manically, and this time sent out his chakra again. He had been experimenting for the past few hours, and he found a small glitch in the seal, or perhaps it was intended.

The chakra easily leaked out and consumed the flower, but the flower did not wilt, it did not shrivel. Instead it seemed to regenerate at an impossible rate. He smiled as he saw his handy work. Perhaps he would have to learn to give up his hatred for his ultimate goals, perhaps he would have to learn to get along with his damned container. **"…Yeah right." **He knew it would take a miracle for the boy to get along with him.

But right now, there was no possible way he was going to let this strange girl be damaged from her bastard father. If her father had permanently damaged her in the specific organs the Kyuubi needed functional, he would personally rip out the boy's seal with his tongue and kill the bastard. He would not let her be damaged. Not while she played a part in the demon fox's ambitions. **"No way in Hell…"**

**

* * *

**

Hinata's eye widened instantly. She felt her body heating up from some outside force. Her mouth was burning, but not in a bad way. If chakra had a taste, she'd say she was tasting it right now. Sakura's eyes also widened as the wounds seemed to lose their coloring and her cells regenerate. She knew it wasn't her dong; she could never hope to heal something that fast before. She looked over at Naruto and saw him kissing Hinata. She was about to ask him what the Hell he was doing when she noticed an odd orange glow from between their lips.

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized what this meant. _'The Kyuubi's chakra must be healing her! Naruto's channeling the chakra through her mouth!'_ She watched in fascination as the two continued their affectionate show, and as the bruising virtually disappeared. She continued to heal her though, checking on areas that the Kyuubi seemed to heal; making sure everything was how it should be. She was amazed at the thoroughness of the Kyuubi's healing abilities. Even the internal organs had been perfectly healed.

She looked back up to Naruto, who seemed caught up in his own little world. She had always wondered how Naruto could stand up continuously after having been hurt or exhausted, now she knew why. The Kyuubi, as evil as it was considered, was extremely helpful.

Naruto finally separated from Hinata and both breathed deep gulps of air. Hinata looked no worse for wear now, and Naruto looked stunned. Hinata's eyes were wide with astonishment.

"The pain… it's gone!" Naruto looked down at her stomach where Sakura was still checking her over and saw that the bruise was nowhere to be seen. He looked back up and nodded to her, surprised himself.

"Naruto, what did you do?" Naruto shook his head. He had no clue what happened. Sakura filled in as best she could.

"I think the Kyuubi healed you Hinata. While you two were… occupied, I think I saw orange chakra in your mouths." Naruto looked down at his own stomach. _'Kyuubi healed her? Why? I can't complain, but… why?'_

Hinata mumbled to Naruto, "Um, Naruto? I think you can get off of me now…" Naruto quickly got off of her, apologizing to her for not doing so sooner.

"You don't need to apologize Naruto." She said. She put her right hand to her exposed skin and rubbed lightly. _'Not even the memory of pain is there.'_ She couldn't feel anything from her non-existent wounds. She was amazed. She was sure her internal organs had been damaged as well. She looked back at Naruto, who was looking at her with a worried face.

She immediately threw her arms around him. Naruto was stunned for a moment but returned it. Hinata's eyes were leaking, but her smile belied her real feelings. Sakura smiled at the two, knowing that Hinata would be fine. When the two broke apart, Sakura was quick to ask Hinata to lie back down so she could make a thorough examination. Hinata complied, but when Sakura lifted up her shirt, since she was now fully aware, Hinata blushed, realizing that Naruto had been and still was looking at her skin.

Naruto of course, was oblivious to the fact, so Hinata tried to shake her blush off.

"How is she?" Sakura looked from the wound to Naruto. "Well, as far as I can tell, whatever you did healed her up. Thank goodness too, even I wouldn't have been able to repair what her dad did. Juuken is very difficult to heal from. From the damage I saw, there should have been massive internal damage. To be honest Hinata, when I started to heal you, I was almost certain that your uterus had been hit pretty badly."

Hinata's face went white for a moment, and her eyes shrunk slightly. "You mean…?"

Naruto's lifted an eyebrow. "Her what? Sakura, I'm not a medical ninja. I have no idea what that is." Both the girl's faces went bright red, but Hinata's face was still paler than usual. Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Naruto, you are completely helpless aren't you?" Naruto just got a look and said, "What? What'd I do?!"

"Ok Naruto, I'm going to make this as simple as possible for you. Of all your body parts, which one do you value the most? And when I say that I mean, which one would you not want to get chopped off?"

Naruto thought for a moment and cringed. "Do I have to answer that?" Sakura sighed. "The uterus is the female equivalent of that."

Naruto blanked for a moment before his face contorted. "You mean her dad hit _that_ part of her?!" Sakura's face softened and she nodded. "I can't say for certain, but had it not been for you Naruto, she would have probably been infertile." Naruto's face paled, and his expression was one of disgust and anger.

Wanting to end on a good note Sakura nervously smiled and rubbed her neck. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore; whatever you did Naruto healed her completely, and I mean _completely. _I don't see any reason she can't have kids now, that much I can tell." Hinata and Naruto sighed in relief, but Naruto was still visibly angry.

Sakura instantly got a nasty idea in her head and she grinned mischievously. "That is, as long as there's nothing wrong with _you_ Naruto-kun." Hinata blushed like mad, and Naruto jumped back in astonishment at his pink haired teammate.

"S-sakura-san! D-don't say things like that! Hinata and I aren't in that kind of relationship!" Sakura closed her eyes and answered him in a matter-of-factly tone.

"I can't tell that. From the way you two were making out over there, you two seem well on your way to a few kids." Naruto bowed his head in frustration and Hinata was borderline fainting. Sakura laughed at the expense of the two love-birds. Naruto just pointed to the door and muttered, "Out!" Sakura just laughed all the more and got up and went to the door. Before she left though she looked back and "whispered,"

"Don't worry, if you two think you have something in the oven just come talk to me, I'll keep it secret." Naruto pointed to the door again with a comically enraged face and shouted "OUT!!" Sakura couldn't stifle a laugh and she walked out saying, "Alright alright. I'm not kidding though; if you think you guys think something's going to happen, just talk to me. I wouldn't trust the other nurses. They're prone to gossip." She added that last part by putting her hand to the side of her mouth, as if whispering it, and walked out before Naruto could retort.

Naruto's comically enraged face gave way to a concerned one as he looked down at the pale-eyed girl in his arms. She had a depressed face on and she wasn't looking at anything in particular. Her hand unconsciously found its way over her belly. Naruto nudged her. "Hey, don't be sad. You heard Sakura-san, you're ok now. "

Hinata looked up at him slightly and tried to smile, but all she could manage was a fearful frown. Naruto held her close. "What's wrong Hinata?"

Hinata looked back down and muttered, only loud enough for him to hear, "My father hates me. He never cared about me. He knew very well what he was doing when he hurt me. He _knew_ I could lose my fertility, yet he did it anyway. And now I just learned that for a moment, I did lose it. If it weren't for you Naruto-kun, I would have stayed that way."

Naruto was listening so intently, he wasn't prepared for her to tackle him down onto the bed. He ended up on the bottom with Hinata on top and her legs on either side of him. He looked up at her slightly stunned. "Hinata…?"

"Thank you Naruto-kun! Thank you, thank you! I can't thank you enough! Just… thank you!" She pulled Naruto into one of the most bone-crushing hugs he had ever had. He reached around her and pulled her to him. _'Wow, Hinata's been giving hugs out to me like party favors. I'm still not used to this, but I'm glad she's getting at least a little bolder.'_

Hinata pulled back a little and slammed her lips own onto his. Surprised, but not disappointed, Naruto granted permission for Hinata's tongue to delve into his mouth. She swiped every part of it, despite her inner turmoil.

_'Naruto-kun saved my fertility; this is the only thing I can think of as payment. But, I'm new to this. I hope he doesn't mind it.'_ That thought was answered as his tongue slid out to play with hers, both of them dancing and swirling around each other. Both of them were into it now. Hinata pulled him even tighter as she tried to get as much tongue into her as she could.

Despite his inability to breath, he comforted her as he pulled her tightly to him as well. Now, Naruto was indeed a noob at this, so when he felt Hinata firmly pressing into him, his body began reacting… uniquely. He hadn't exactly noticed it, but his pants got tighter and tighter by the second. Finally he had to pull away to breath, and it was in that moment that he realized what his body has subconsciously done. His face went ten shades darker as he began sweating bullets.

Hinata, though panting, noticed this and looked at him concerned. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Naruto's face contorted in an odd way, a strange look of embarrassment on his face.

"Ah, um, uh, n-nothing's wrong, Hinata-chan, it's just, uh, um, I, uh, well, um…."

Naruto seemed to be very uncomfortable, so Hinata shifted to allow him some room to breathe. Of course, that shifting brought an odd sensation to her lower area. She instantly looked down and saw his pants right below her crotch bulging with unreleased…"pressure." Her face instantly became bright red, and to a point that a bomb at dawn couldn't rival that shade.

By the time she looked back to Naruto, he had half his face smashed beneath the pillow he was using to hide himself. He was muttering over and over again words that Hinata barely managed to translate as "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…"

She couldn't help but ask him, despite his already embarrassed state, "N-Naruto-kun… a-are y-you…?"

This was all too much for Naruto and he was ready to faint then and there, were it not for the sobbing that he heard. He removed the pillow and peeked out. Hinata had her hands balled up and pressing on his chest. Her head was hung low and small tears fell from her eyes and dripped onto his shirt.

Fearing he had done something wrong, Naruto was quick to apologize. "Gah! I'm sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to…! I-I couldn't help it! I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Hinata looked up with a small look of confusion on her face. She watched as Naruto, almost humorously, tried to apologize to her. She closed her eyes and laughed only slightly.

Now it was Naruto's turn to be surprised.

Hinata's smile vanished in an instant as she spoke. "Naruto-kun do you find me… a-attractive...?" She turned her head to the side and continued to blush. Naruto was caught off guard by the question and stumbled over his words, trying to find the right ones.

"W-well, you're very pretty, and I-I do find you very attractive." Hinata continued to sob quietly.

"D-Do you find me… a-a-arousing?" She shuddered out that final word and clinched her eyes closed, bracing for the answer. Naruto's eye went wide with both embarrassment and shock. He wasn't expecting that. "W-w-well, i-if my body is saying anything about you, t-then y-yeah, I do find you… a-arousing." Naruto found it very embarrassing to talk like this with Hinata, even if he was simply answering.

Hinata opened her eyes suddenly and looked at him astonished. "R-really? You really find me, s-sexy and attractive in that way?" She was hesitant to ask the words, constantly fearing the answer.

"W-well, yeah… I mean, we wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't." He tried to laugh off the nervousness; to no avail. Hinata began crying more and Naruto felt he was just making thing worse. "H-Hinata, I think it might be best if I just, y'know, leave you alone now." He tried to get up but was roughly shoved back down, much to his surprise.

"Naruto-kun… I-if you want, you can take me." Again, Naruto is an idiot. "Take you? Take you where?" Hinata shuffled the words through her head. The best line she could come up with without fainting from merely saying it was, "I-I mean, w-would you… m-make l-l-love to me?"

Her eyes were half lidded as her body wanted so much just to fall unconscious and avoid this extremely embarrassing situation. But that was just reflex, and Hinata was determined to stay awake.

And wouldn't it figure? He actually understood it this time.

He simply lay there stunned, his eyes wide with surprise, anxiety, foreboding even. "H-H-H-Hinata! Are you… _serious_? You want me to actually, like _really_ 'do it' with you?" Again she looked to the side, her face crimson.

"…I-if you want to." Naruto was shocked; totally unprepared for this to come from Hinata of all people.

Naruto thought silently, before looking her in the eyes. She was obviously hesitant, but he saw determination in them. He considered saying no, but the very fact that _she _suggested doing it meant that despite her actions, she really did want to, and saying no might crusher spirit. On the other hand, saying yes… _far_ outweighed saying "no."

He slowly nodded to her and reached for her coat. He gently placed his hand on it before stopping. "One question; why are you doing this all of a sudden? N-Not that I'm complaining, heh, but, yeah; why?"

Hinata looked him in the eye, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. "It because you're the first one to ever look at me as someone of worth, rather than just a weak, timid girl. Plus, you healed me; gave me the chance to have kids again. I guess… it's the least I can do…"

Naruto reached up and placed a hand on her cheek. "No Hinata, it's not the least you can do; this is the best thing to ever happen to me. If you're sure, then I don't want there to be any regrets about this."

Hinata nodded fervently. Naruto reached up and unzipped her coat, sliding it all the way off. Hinata was noticeably shaky, as in nervous. He marveled at her form, even though he had only taken off her jacket. He could tell, even through two shirts that she was well endowed. Hinata just sat there, waiting for him to move on. Internally, she was feeling a rush of emotions.

She was happy; he was being kind. She was nervous; he was staring at her. She was thankful; he was admiring her body. And she was overjoyed that he accepted her gift.

He lightly rubbed his hand on her sides, slowly reaching down to the hem of her shirts. He grabbed both of them at the same time and began to lift them up. "Matte, Naruto-kun."

Naruto instantly stopped. "What's wrong?" Hinata reached over and shut his eyes with her hand. Getting the message, he kept them closed. She placed her hands on his and encouraged him to continue. He did so, pulling both shirts over her head, being sure not to move too fast for her, and allowing her to get comfortable with her situation.

All of this was having an excellent effect on Naruto. Hinata couldn't feel everything, but she could tell; he was throbbing from the excitement.

"A-all right, you can look." Naruto hesitantly opened his eyes and blinked away the fuzziness that had come with closing them as tight as he did. As soon as he opened them, he never wanted to close them again. Even with her bra on, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. And the way she was holding herself was so _cute!_ She seemed to hug her right arm closer to her body and her left. Naruto gently placed his hands on her abdomen, amazed at the thoroughness of the Kyuubi's healing abilities.

He slid his fingers across, making her shiver and her muscles quake. He, little by little, moved up, her lower chest now the object of attention. He gently pushed her arm to the side. Then he saw why she was holding it to herself. There was a small scar there from where he assumed she had been stabbed by Pain.

Deciding that it would make her feel bad to linger there, he moved on. Hinata was pleasantly surprised that he did so, thinking that he was going to wonder how she got it.

He reached up to the sides of her breasts, but instead of touching them, he reached around and attempted to take the clothing covering them off. Hinata had no choice but to laugh lightly as he tried unsuccessfully to do so.

"Um... Aheheh… A little help would be appreciated here." He laughed at himself nervously. She nodded, still nervous, and reached behind her and guided his hands through the motions. Finally he was able to take the offending article of clothing off. Hinata slid the straps down off her shoulders and took it off. Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He hesitantly reached up to her twin mounds, waiting to see if Hinata made any move to stop him; she didn't. He gently brushed his finger tips against her soft flesh. She gasped at the foreign pleasure. He pressed a little harder with his hands and felt her nipples harden against his palms. Curious, he moved his hands down to expose the pink little nubs. He lightly ran his thumb over each, eliciting a gasp from Hinata.

"What's wrong, does that hurt?" She shook her head. She had begun to pant, her heart rate increasing. "N-no, it just feels... _so good!_"

Naruto, encouraged, continued to rub the delicate pink flesh. She could feel pressure build up between her legs, her own body reacting to the stimulation. Hinata reached down to the hem of his shirt and lifted it off as well, not exactly worrying about gentleness. She gapped at the sight. Naruto's chest was well developed, his pectoral muscles and abs the perfect size. His skin was tight; he had no fat whatsoever on his body. She slid her fingers across his abs, feeling their hardness.

Naruto, with a sudden aura of enlightenment, leaned up to her for a second. His face was mere inches from her bosom; she could feel his breath blow across her skin, making her nipples erect to their maximum. Fascinated by this, Naruto took the initiative and gently placed his lips up to them. Hinata's sensitive skin picked up on his intensifying breath, and she knew what he was going to do, but she made no notion to stop him. She didn't _want_ to stop him.

He began by just pecking her nipples with his lips, bringing slight gasps from her mouth. But as soon as he opened his mouth and his tongue reached out to touch her aroused tits, she couldn't help a moan from escaping her lips. Naruto looked back up at her while continuing this treatment, and even though Hinata was staring down at him, she just continued to do that.

Considering this a sign that he was doing well, he stepped up his treatment by completely engulfing her breast in his mouth. Hinata threw her head back in a moan. Her hands instantly wrapped around Naruto's head and pulled him as close as she could get him, mashing his head into her breasts. Naruto switched breasts and repeated the process on the other one, but with the added pleasure of twisting and pinching the now free nipple. A few minutes into this, Naruto decided he'd given enough attention there and pulled away. This left Hinata gasping and sighing at the same time.

Naruto placed his hands on the top of her sweats, and with her help, he was able to pull her pants down to her ankles, and off. She had a simple pair of white and violet striped panties on, but that didn't matter to Naruto, he was as hard as a rock from just looking at them.

Her legs were still on either side of him, but now she was leaning back with her pelvis on his chest.

He looked up at her. "Can I…?" She nodded. He looked back down and ran his fingers over the soft cloth. Hinata was extremely nervous right now. _'Naruto-kun's going to see _that_ place… Oh Kami, I don't know if I can handle it… No! I can't lose it, not now, not at this point. I have to stay with it!'_

Naruto began running his fingers over her slit, but not with enough pressure to cause Hinata to feel it, or Naruto to identify its shape or design. Then he pressed a bit harder, causing Hinata to gasp and throw her head back slightly. He rubbed up and down, causing her hips to buck involuntarily. Naruto was amazed by this and continued to rub her, making her moan in ecstasy.

When he felt that he'd done enough, he grabbed the sides of the cotton material and pulled it down, exposing all of Hinata to the rapidly warming, but still cool air.

Naruto turned back to a panting Hinata. She had her face toward the ceiling. He examined her with a nervous and intrigued pair of eyes. She had a small patch of midnight-blue pubic hair right above her vagina, which Naruto brushed his fingers through a few times before moving down. Barely brushing against her secret place, he could feel the dampness. Surprised by it, he slid his thumb over her slit, the smooth skin feeling extremely good to him.

Hinata quivered as the blissful sensations rocketed through her being. She couldn't help but gasp each time he touched her. He gently pulled apart the two folds of skin and looked inside. "It's so pink!"

Hinata closed her eyes and bit her lip._ 'Naruto's seeing deep inside me… he's seeing my very core!'_ Naruto would never have guessed half of the things he was experiencing now. Hinata on the other hand, guessed, but her expectations couldn't measure up to the real thing.

"T-that's because it's never been used. I've saved myself for the man who would eventually take it. The one man that I truly love." Naruto looked back up at her face. She was smiling at him. His eyes widened. "Me?! So… you've never, _ever_, done it before?" Hinata shook her head.

"I've barely touched it myself. I would never be allowed to do so at the compound, and I never had time between or on missions. I-I've probably only ever p-pleasured myself three or four times a year."

Naruto was shocked but he smirked. "Well, I guess you need to make up for lost time." He pulled her up closer to him and sat up. Now her pussy was directly in front of his face, and she was practically upside down.

He bent his head down to her ran his lips over her. She gasped loudly, her arms almost collapsing. Naruto slid his tongue out to lick her up, lapping up the juices that, at present, were gushing forward. "N-Naruto! Oh, oh, it feels so _good! _Don't stop, PLEASE DON'T STOP!!"

Naruto obliged and continued to lap at her center. Since she couldn't reach up to grab him with her hands, she wrapped her legs around his head and squeezed him to her. He stretched his tongue out as far as he could. Hinata moaned and moaned, and suddenly she pressed Naruto into her even harder. "N-Naruto… I'm going to… I'm gonna-!!"

Naruto didn't have time to ask her what she was about to say as a river of liquid gushed into his mouth and soaking his face. He closed his eyes reflexively, but opened them a moment later to see a very tired looking Hinata. She was breathing deeply and continued to stare the ceiling for a moment before bringing her head down to look at Naruto.

Suddenly realizing that his mouth was full, he swallowed the sweet liquid, amazed by its taste. He swished the excess in his mouth for a second before swallowing again. He blushed deeply, realizing what he'd just done. Hinata also blushed, though her face seemed to stay the same since she had an almost permanent blush on.

She quivered as Naruto seemed to stare blankly at nothing for a moment. Fearing his disgust, she called out to him. "N-Naruto-kun?" Snapping out of his reverie, Naruto grinned sheepishly. "T-That was, the most delicious thing I've ever tasted." Hinata was surprised. He hadn't mentioned ramen as an exception, which she unconsciously attributed to him being caught up in the moment. But when he made no notion of amending his statement, she realized that he really meant it.

_'Do I really taste that good? Oh Kami, just thinking like this makes me feel so embarrassed…'_ She was pulled out of her thoughts as she felt Naruto's tongue slip back into her. She immediately moaned out loud and bucked her hips into him. It took all her conscious thought and self control for her to say, "W-Wait a minute, N-Naruto-Ahhh! N-Naruto-kun!" Naruto stopped and looked back at her, finding it as difficult to stop as she found it difficult to stop him.

"N-Naruto-kun, c-could I…?" She indicated to Naruto's crotch with her eyes. Naruto's head moved back an inch from surprise. He couldn't say no, after all, she had just allowed him to see all of her, and lap her up. He slowly nodded and allowed her to get off of him. She got on her hands and knees on the bed and approached Naruto as he backed up to the head board for support. She unbuttoned and then unzipped his pants, slipping them off and throwing them to the floor. His dark green and black boxers hid the overall shape and size of his manliness. That made Hinata all the more hesitant to remove his boxers. She reached up to the hem and paused, clenching her eyes and removing the cloth off of him in one clean swipe.

Naruto was beat red as he waited for Hinata to open her eyes. Hinata's body, mind and heart were all at war with each other. He body was undecided in what to do, remaining for the most part neutral. The mind was telling her to keep her eyes shut, apologize and run from the room. Her heart was saying to continue, making her very inner being a battlefield.

_'As soon as I open my eyes I'm going to see Naruto. I've always fantasized about this when I had the chance, but to actually see what he's really like… Ohhh,! Ok, I'm going to open my eyes on the count of three. One...two…three!'_ And she did. As soon as she did, they went wider than she ever thought possible.

Right in front of her face was Naruto, in all his manly glory. He was not what she was expecting. She never had anything to go on when she fantasized, and she had no clue what an average man's penis size was, so she had always thought four or five inches was appropriate.

Oh, was she wrong.

She quickly took in everything about him. Not half a foot away from her face was Naruto's thick rod. Nearly an inch-and-a-half wide, and inch thick, and six and half inches long, she nearly screamed in surprise. _'Oh Kami! I, I had no idea he was so HUGE!! There's no way that'll fit inside me… No! I'm going to finish this despite that.'_ She hesitantly reached out and touched it and was surprised when it twitched. She looked and saw Naruto had his eyes on her, but his face was red and his mouth was open, and he was starting to breathe faster. If the pulsing of his cock was anything to go by, his heart rate was accelerating.

She turned back to the object of attention and lightly grabbed it with her left hand. Naruto grunted in mild pleasure as she did so, surprising her. _'Ok, I've got it out, now what do I do? Let's see, the first thing he did was rub my slit, so then…'_ She gently began to rub up and down his shaft earning a pleasure strained face from Naruto as he bit back a moan. Encouraged, she continued to rub him, using both hands to stroke his length.

About two minutes in Hinata began thinking of her next move. _'Ok, the next think he did was kiss and lick me, so… Oh Kami… I can't believe I'm going to do this!' _Mustering up her courage she bent down and kissed the tip of Naruto's head, making him shift as his arms nearly buckled.

He couldn't help but moan at her treatment. Hinata kissed the head and then down the shaft, then back up to the head again. She wasn't sure of all the male's erogenous zones, and wasn't quite sure what do with Naruto's little twins.

To be on the safe side, she used her right hand to tickle and stroke them while her left hand lightly held Naruto's shaft straight. When she got to the head a third time, she gulped and extended her tongue to lick his head. Naruto jumped and had to force his arms to the bed. She ran her tongue around the head and over the tip, licking the foreskin as well. Naruto flinched every once in a while, but for the most part remained silent.

The sheets of the bed were clutched tightly in his hands as he gritted his teeth to keep himself from moaning. Hinata was slightly discouraged by this. _'He's not moaning like I did… Does that mean I'm not doing it right? What else did he do?'_ She thought in her head for a moment before hesitantly closing her lips around his head and sucking lightly on his head.

Naruto suddenly found it very difficult to keep his cool and began grunting every time her lips glided across his skin. Hinata was determined on one thing right now, and that was that she was going to get him to moan. _'I don't know if your shy, or if I'm not doing a good job, but I WILL get you to moan, Naruto-kun!'_ With this in mind, she began inching her head farther down his length.

One inch, two inches, three inches… She continued to take it in, but at four inches she found herself fighting her gag reflexes. She gathered up as much saliva as she could and smeared it across his length with her tongue, eliciting a gasp from Naruto who had his eyes shut tightly. Holding true to her goal, she clinched her eyes shut and braced herself, _'This is it!'_ and slammed her head down another two inches, taking almost his entire length in at once.

Hinata was practically gagging on him, but forgot about it as soon as she heard Naruto cry out in pleasure. "Ohhhhh! Hinata!! Keep doing that, Hinata. Ugh!" Naruto threw his head back and grunted. Overjoyed, Hinata ignored her body and continued to bob her head up and down, massaging him with her tongue and throat.

_'Yes! He moaned, and said my name at the same time! Just wait Naruto-kun, I'll make you moan my name even more!'_

Hinata put her hand on Naruto's thighs to keep him from jerking into her mouth. She wouldn't be able to take what was left of him no matter how much she wanted to do so. Naruto couldn't take her administrations anymore.

"Hi-Hinata, I-if you don't s-slow down, I-I might end up- ugh! Hinata!" Naruto continued to moan loudly, only serving to encourage Hinata even more. She knew what he was saying. She knew it very well. She sped up as fast as she could and didn't go as far up, but rather focused on using short pumping motions. Naruto suddenly reached out with his hands and pressed Hinata's head down as far as he could get it, and cried out.

"HINATA!!!"

Hinata nearly puked, but pushed past her reflexes as she felt Naruto's muscles spasm and flex. All of a sudden, a hot sensation made itself known in her mouth. Hinata's eyes were shut, but her mouth told everything she needed to know. More and more sticky liquid pumped out of his dick and flooded her mouth. When she realized that he wasn't stopping anytime soon, she forced her head up and off of him. As soon as she pulled off of him, she felt his warm cream pumped all over her face, covering her eyes, mouth, left cheek, nose, and forehead. She couldn't tell if any of it had gotten on her hair, but she could feel the warm gel-like substance drip down her face.

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and stared at his dick, but focused on nothing in particular. _'Th-this is Naruto-kun's sperm… I, ah, ah, w-what do I do now? I hadn't thought this through. And it's all over me too!'_

She slowly opened her eyes, making sure not to get any of his cum in them. Cum continued to ooze out of his cock, while Naruto himself looked mortified. His hands had fallen to the bed, and he lay there breathing heavily. "I, I'm sorry, Hinata… I, I couldn't control myself." Hinata nodded slightly, and swished the cum around in her mouth. _'Naruto swallowed my juice, it's only fair if I…'_

She gather up all the cum in her mouth to the back and swallowed. Little bits were left in her mouth, which she swirled around her tongue, getting the taste of it. Her eyes lit up when she did. Naruto looked absolutely mortified now. "H-Hinata, you didn't have to swallow it! I mean, I don't care if you think it's disgusting." Hinata shook her head and began wiping the cum on her face into her fingers and into her mouth. Naruto watched, slightly horrified as she did so.

Licking her fingers Hinata sighed contentedly and smiled happily at him, her blush now just a light pink stripe going across her face. "Amazing Naruto-kun! That was delicious! It wasn't disgusting at all." As if to confirm what she just said, she licked up what had seeped from his cock before. Naruto's horrified expression softened a bit when he learned that she liked it. She consumed all the cum greedily, making sure to get every last drop. She began massaging his dick again and sucking on the tip, forcing any cum inside to come to the surface.

Naruto moaned as she did so, but he picked her head up before she could get into it. "Hinata, I… I kinda want to-"

"Ok." Naruto looked surprised when she said it. She looked to the side as she spoke. "I'll do anything you want Naruto-kun, because it's you." She looked at him and smiled nervously at the last part. Naruto cupped her cheek and looked seriously into her eyes.

"Hinata, if you don't want to do this, just tell me. I can hold out until you're ready-"

"No! I want to do this too! It's just… it's my first time, so… Be gentle, please, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded to her and smiled. "Anything you want, Hina-hime."

Naruto got up and switched places with Hinata. Now she was laying down on her back and he was over top of her. She spread her legs and he positioned himself over top of her. They stayed that way for a moment before Naruto blushed slightly and glanced to the side. "You know Hinata-chan, this is also my first time, so I'm not sure on exactly what I'm supposed to do."

Hinata's eyes widened a good amount and she gaped at him. "Y-You mean I'm the first person you've ever…?" Naruto nodded but then looked surprised. "You mean, even though you thought I wasn't a virgin, you were going to go through with it anyway?"

Hinata nodded and looked him straight in the eyes. "I told you Naruto, I love you, and even if you weren't a virgin, it wouldn't matter! I'd still gladly give myself to you." Naruto's eyes moistened and he rubbed them to make sure tears wouldn't fall. Smiled, but sheepishly told her, "Well, since we both are virgins, I don't know exactly what to do on your first time. I mean, I know things about like how the first time is painful for you. But I mean, how exactly do you want to do this?" Hinata chuckled nervously. He was so innocent, that she couldn't help but be amused.

"Well, it's only going to be painful for me, so I'll help you along. You… do know what to do, right?" Naruto nodded with a mock-hurt face on. "I know at least _that_ much Hinata."

She smiled and looked down to where their sexes were. She reached down and grabbed his dick and lined it up at her vagina. She pulled a little to make him follow her motions. Naruto gulped and felt the tip of his dick brush against her lower lips, and shivered at the sensation. She stopped and thought for a moment. Naruto apparently was thinking the same thing, because he said, "Do you want me to go in slowly, or just rip off the Band-Aid?"

Hinata chuckled at his analogy but frowned as she chose. Both were going to hurt, but which one would hurt less, was unknown to her. "Let's… do it slowly. Doing it quickly seems much more painful."

Naruto nodded and slowly pushed himself in. Naruto was having his doubts though, from what he could tell, and what he remembered, she was extremely small in comparison to him. Already it was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Only the head was in and he could barely process the pleasure that was zinging through him. Trying to move in more, he found himself meeting some resistance. He guessed that this was where it was going to hurt.

Hinata's eyes were closed in preparation for the pain that was to come. Naruto, continued to try and push past her barrier, but he couldn't seem to push past it, and Hinata looked to be in a lot of pain. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Hinata, it's only going to hurt more this way. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Hinata opened her eyes, and he could see tears beginning to form in them. She nodded and wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck and pulled him closer to him. This caused Naruto's pelvis to follow and he began pushing in even harder. Hinata stifled a scream as she could feel him forcing his way in, causing her to pull Naruto even closer to her, and dig her finger nails into his back.

He grunted in pain as she did so. With one final push he broke through. Hinata screamed in pain as she felt her insides tear and rip as Naruto's member invaded her. Naruto leaned down to kiss Hinata as tears dripped from her eyes. The kiss smothered her screams, and his back bled from her shredding it. Naruto slid all the way in, burying himself to the hilt inside her. Hinata continued to make noises in her throat, which Naruto could feel as he kept his mouth over hers.

After a minute or two, Hinata calmed down and Naruto broke from their kiss. Hinata's eyes opened half way, and Naruto could tell she was still in pain. He reached up and wiped away the tears and allowed her a moment to adjust and get familiar with him inside her. "Just tell me when you're ready." Hinata nodded and used the next minute to catch her breath. When she had calmed down, she nodded to Naruto again. Naruto took his cue and slid out halfway, being careful to be gentle and slow, and slid back in again. Hinata grit her teeth and he continued this again and again. Over time the pain began to diminish and was replaced by pleasure. Eventually her grunts pain gave way to moans of satisfaction.

_'It still hurts, but he sooo big!'_ Hearing her moans, Naruto began to speed up. He could barely contain himself as he did so, wanting to just dive into her with all his might. Hinata raised her hips to his, trying to get all of him inside her with each thrust he made. Naruto sped up dramatically, causing her juices to squirt out of her, curiously stained red. The liquid splashed all over Naruto's dick and thighs, and were smeared across Hinata's pussy and anus as it dripped down.

Neither of them had the time, or attention span to really notice. Both of them were caught up in their own little world. Every time Naruto slammed into her, she could feel pleasure zinging throughout her body. She couldn't help but scream in pleasure. Naruto went down and captured her mouth in a kiss as she raked his back with her nails. Her high pitched moans vibrated through their mouths, only exciting Naruto more. Their hearts were racing beyond what they normally would, but it's to be expected. Naruto also moaned out heartily, making Hinata happy that she was satisfying to him.

Every once in a while, Hinata would moan out louder than usual, and Naruto realized that she was cumming. But the rate at which she was doing so astounded Naruto. "Ohh, Hinata! You're so _tight!_ It's like your sucking me back in every time!"

Hinata felt herself cum again and her juices spurt out and drip onto the bed. "And you, you're so _big!_ It feels like you're going to split me wide open! OHHH!!" Naruto continued his treatment of her, unaware of what was happening within him.

* * *

The Kyuubi awoke rather unpleasantly in his cage. Why he woke up, he didn't know. But as he turned around to look out the bars, he saw what was likely to be the reason. The inside of this sewer like soul reflected what the boy was doing. What he saw surprised him. There was his container, _making love,_ to the very girl he had healed earlier… right in front of him.

Of course neither Naruto nor the girl were actually there; it was just the way the fox observe things from inside the boy's body. **"Damn, he works fast. Must be the hormones. But I'm not going to complain. This is what I've been waiting for after all."** The demon fox sent his chakra out to cover the entire room, making sure his dark energy swamped to whole of this world.

Finally he let all of that chakra flood down on the representation of the two lovers. The chakra did as ordered and converged on its target. Kyuubi smiled as he watched his handiwork. Everything was working as he had planned.

* * *

Naruto suddenly found himself heating up. Dramatically. He ignored it and continued pumping, moving faster, harder, and deeper into Hinata, who watched in surprise as Naruto seemed to alter. His hair became wilder, his whisker scars thickened and darkened, his canines became more prominent, and his eyes turned blood red with slit pupils. This surprised, and admittedly scared her a little.

But she felt her fear be replaced be replaced by more pleasure as Naruto picked her up and sat her on his lap. She bounced up and down as he pumped her from below. Suddenly, Naruto opened his eyes and was surprised to see Hinata, but not as he remembered her. Her hair had become wilder as well, with the ends of it, rather than being straight, were uneven and was becoming coarser. Her eyes had turned red as well, and had even developed a black slit pupil in the middle. Her nails became sharper as they lanced the flesh of his back, allowing blood to drip down. Her teeth also become more animalistic as well. All of this pointed to one thing.

Hinata was in Fox Mode.

Naruto didn't dwell on the fact, as Hinata leaned forward and bit down on Naruto's neck, piercing the skin as blood dripped down

Naruto leaned over her neck and did the same, feeling enjoyment as he bit through her skin and tasted the blood on his tongue and watched as what dripped out slid down her back. Hinata was in a similar state of bliss. Her mind was changing; it wasn't what it should have been. _'Naruto's blood tastes so good! And he loves it too! Oh! This is perfect, everything is soo perfect!'_

Naruto laid her back down onto the bed, and thrust into her with as much power as he had. He felt his vocal cords vibrate and heard an animalistic growl escape his mouth, rather than the moan he had expected. He was even more surprised when he heard Hinata do the same. Hinata leaned her head down and began licking his nipples, twisting and biting them with her teeth. Naruto's pounding only increased in ferocity. Naruto reached his unoccupied arms down to pinch and tear at her own nipples. Hinata growled in ecstasy and Naruto's claws tore into her skin, causing her to bleed from her breasts. Naruto internally was horrified that he was destroying her body, but was relieved to see her body heal itself instantly after every wound he inflicted.

Pulling her nipples out as far as he could without tearing them off, Hinata arched her back and yelped in pleasure. Satisfied, Naruto let them go and they popped back and jiggled around as Naruto continued to enter her. Hinata could feel herself cumming over and over again against Naruto's pulsing cock. Hinata flipped onto her side and Naruto lifter her leg over his shoulder and increased his speed. "OHH NARUTO!! THIS IS IT!! I'm gonna die! I'M GONNA EXPLODE!!!"

Her cries proved too much for him and he felt her explode all over him, causing him to growl out loudly. "ARGHH!! Here it comes Hinata, GET READY!!!" He thrust in as fast as he could and with one massive shove, he buried himself to the hilt inside of her and burst. He could feel himself emptying into her and growled in satisfaction as her internal muscles milked every bit of sperm from his dick. Her own juices dripped from his balls on to her anus and down his thighs.

Hinata's back arched as she felt his sperm completely fill her. More and more shot from him into her, until she felt she couldn't take any more. Naruto watched with glee as his sperm began seeping from in between his dick and her pussy's walls, dripping down her ass and staining the sheets. Hinata felt her womb and vaginal walls expand as his cum entered her. She couldn't take any more. "Naruto!! Naruto, please! Pull it out, PULL IT OUT!! It hurts!!"

Naruto did as he was told and pulled his cum soaked dick out of her and let the rest of it shoot all over her pussy and pubic hair, nearly covering both entirely. Naruto saw that he was still hard, and Hinata oddly didn't feel exhausted. It was amazing, they had both just had the most amazing orgasm of their lives, and they were still ready for another round.

Naruto had an idea and looked over at Hinata. "Wuddia say Hinata? Wanna try something new?" Hinata nodded, eager to have any kind of release. Naruto grinned devilishly and looked back down at his dick. It was covered in his white cum, so he simply directed it to her anus, and pushed himself into her. Hinata growled in pleasure-pain as she felt he ass rip and his rock hard self violate her shit hole. Every time he thrust in, his cum would pump out of her pussy and spill onto her ass and his member, keeping them lubricated. Naruto leaned down over her I such a way that every time he pumped in, his pubic hair would tickle her clit.

Not too much later, Naruto came again, shooting his seed into her ass. She sighed in satisfaction as she felt both her holes become filled with his precious sperm. He pulled out and let a little bit shoot across and land on her belly and lower breasts. Not wanting to let his own seed go to waste, he pressed the tip of his dick against her urethra and let his seed shoot into her pee-hole.

Hinata came instantly as she felt the foreign pleasure of all three of her holes overflowing with cum. She reached down with her hands and pumped Naruto's dick as it filled her bladder. His cum and hers combined were spread all over her hands as she milked it for all it was worth. Naruto threw his head back and growled loudly as the last of his cum shot into her.

She sighed in satisfaction as Naruto finished. She leaned back and Naruto promptly crashed onto her, her breasts acting as an impromptu air bag as he landed. Hinata smiled as she ran her claws through his hair. Naruto's face was one of pure satisfaction. After a good fifteen minutes. Naruto shifted and looked up at Hinata, she had a similar face to his, even more so due to Fox Mode, which seemed to still be active. Naruto continued to stare at her with a smile on his face, before both of their features reverted. All of a sudden Naruto's face became white as a sheet.

Hinata on the other hand still had a content face on.

Naruto glanced back down at their cum soaked privates and realized, to his utter mortification and horror, what he'd done.

"Hinata, I-I, did I just cum i-i-inside you??" Hinata looked at him curiously, and then remembered the probably gallon's worth of sperm in her holes, half of which was in her womb.

She blanched as she remembered that ejaculating inside the vagina usually meant babies. But that fear immediately turned to happiness when she realized she would become pregnant with Naruto's child. She nodded and Naruto paled even further as she giggled.

Naruto couldn't seem to believe what he'd done, or what would happen because of it. "S-so… you… and me… " Hinata continued to laugh despite her now exhausted state. "It's ok, Naruto-kun. It's sooner than I expected, but I've always wanted to bear your child, and I'm happy that I get to now." Naruto calmed down slightly as she ran a hand through his blond locks. He rested his head down on her breasts and thought about what he'd just done.

"You're ok, right Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked at him questioningly. "I've never felt better! Why?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it's just that all that biting and scraping would normally hurt wouldn't it?" Hinata gasped as she realized he was right. Before he could lift his head to see what she gasped for, she clamped an arm down over his head, not letting I'm move and inch. She ran her other hand over his back, checking for any wounds from her clawing him. "Mmph!! Hinata! You're suffocating me!" Hinata lift his head, only to check his neck.

As Naruto took deep breaths of badly needed oxygen, Hinata continued to apologize for hurting him even as she continued to check him over. "I'm so sorry Naruto-kun! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Naruto likewise checked her shoulder to see if she was bleeding. While all their wounds seemed to be healed, their mutual love-bites remained, oddly enough.

"Its fine Hinata, neither of us meant to hurt each other, I guess we just lost ourselves when we both somehow entered Fox Mode." Hinata was about to start crying. "But I would never want to hurt you Naruto-kun, I felt as if it wasn't me who was doing it!" Naruto was quick to comfort her as she sobbed into his chest. He ran his hand through her hair as he "shhh"-ed her. Presently, she stopped sobbing, separating from him.

It happened to be at that moment when they noticed that they were completely covered in blood, cum, and sweat, the second being the majority. Both blushed as they realized their predicament. Hinata gasped lightly as she realized just how much cum had been injected into and shot onto her. Naruto grinned sheepishly and replied, "Sorry. I have a lot more cum than most people combined. Don't ask me why." Hinata shook her head in bewilderment.

She sighed happily though, glad that their first time had been so special, and enjoyable. "Well, we can't sleep like this. But we don't have a shower yet…" Naruto looked at a loss for what to do. Hinata looked out the window and asked, "Why can't we just use the lake in the back?"

Naruto looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we can use the la-… Since when did we have a lake?!" Hinata pointed and Naruto clearly saw the reflection of the moon against the shimmering water of a fair-sized lake. Naruto was quite sure that hadn't been there before.

Shrugging it off as another addition to his wall of obliviousness, he picked Hinata up off the bed and carried her bridal style out the window and into the night, heading for the awaiting lake. Upon arriving, Naruto jumped straight in, dowsing himself with the chill water. Hinata opted to wade in slowly and get used to the cold water. Having previously been in a steamy room with her body temperature doubling for near three hours didn't help her any.

She sighed as she let her body sink below the chill waters. She wasn't prepared for Naruto to come up and tickle her while she was beneath. They both surfaced and giggled. "Naruto, turn around, I'll get your back for you." Naruto smiled and tinted pink across the cheeks as he turned. Hinata began rubbing his back with her hands, occasionally splashing water onto him.

When she stopped and rested her hands on his back, he asked her without turning, "Doshta? Is there something on my back?" Hinata grunted a "no". Naruto decided it best to simply let her be. A few moments later, Hinata spoke. "Naruto, you said that we both entered 'Fox Mode' earlier. What is that?"

Naruto paled slightly, but answered her anyway. "Fox Mode is where the Kyuubi's chakra leaks out and changes me. Kinda makes me more irritable, but it doesn't help that it's usually brought on by extreme emotions, usually anger or rage." Hinata quieted again. The silence was killing him.

"Do you hate me, Naruto-kun?" She said, her voice choked with sadness. Naruto whirled and grabbed her but the arms. "There is no way in this world that I would _ever_ hate you." He spoke firmly, and had a tight, but not harmful grip on her arms.

"Then why did you change? Why did _I_ change? Why did I hurt you?!" She left the next question unsaid, but Naruto understood it easily. _"Why did you hurt me?"_

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know! Maybe- Sigh, maybe… it doesn't just turn on when I'm angry. I guess it might be that it does in moments of extreme passion, so it could be either anger, or love. Anything that would be a strong emotion could set it off. And who knows why you changed? Maybe it's my fault. Everything seems to be."

Hinata let her arms wrap around his waist and lightly hold him. "Can you talk to him?" Naruto was startled when he heard her ask. "Talk to who?"

Hinata gripped a bit tighter. "The Kyuubi." Naruto's eyes widened I surprise. "I know I'm being selfish by asking this, but please talk to him, and tell him not to interfere with us."

Naruto frowned. "Hinata, I don't know if I can do that, and even if I can, I don't think he'll listen to me."

Hinata's voice cracked as she spoke, her body gradually pressing harder and harder into his own. "Please! Please… Naruto-kun." Naruto closed his eyes and reached around her to hug her back tighter. A moment of silence passed between them before Naruto finally spoke. "I'll make sure he does." Hinata nodded into his chest. They stayed that way for a few minutes before Naruto broke off and proceeded to wash Hinata's back.

Completing that, they finished washing and went back to the house. Entering through the back door, Naruto walked up stairs and saw that the basin of water was still beside the bed. Sighing, he pulled on his pants and picked it up. Carefully carrying it downstairs, he opened to door with his foot and dumped the water off to the side of the porch. He was about to walk back in when he spotted something in front of the door that he guessed he must have stepped over when he came out.

"What's this?" Upon closer inspection he found it was a few pairs of sheets, like for a bed, folded and stacked, just sitting on the porch. Naruto bent down to pick up a note that was on the top. "_'Thought you might need these – A friend.'_" Naruto's right eye began to twitch. "What…. The hell?!" Looking around in the darkness, he could see nothing out of the ordinary, and with a paranoid expression, picked up the sheets and went back inside, being sure to lock the door.

He put the bucket by the stairs and took the sheets up to their room. Hinata looked at him curiously. Naruto shrugged. "Found 'em on the front porch, along with this." He handed her the note, which she took and read over.

She blushed and paled at the same time, but her blush was more apparent. "Y-You don't think someone was…?!" Naruto stripped off the cum and blood stained sheets and began placing the new ones on. "They better not have." He growled it out; miffed that someone might have been watching their intimate love session.

Finishing up, he waved Hinata over and they both crawled into bed. Naruto curled up behind Hinata and wrapped his arms around her. Hinata held his arms to her, feeling secure in his warm embrace.

It wasn't long before Naruto could hear the faint, deep breaths of Hinata. Smiling at her slumbering form, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, not forgetting what he had promised earlier.

* * *

Kyuubi waited patiently. Not being known for his patience, this was a big deal. Both lovebirds were beginning to materialize before him. **_'Finally.'_**

Hinata looked around curiously, not recognizing the sewer she was in. _'After having sex for the first time, I wouldn't have thought my dreams would be of a sewer.'_ She turned around and saw Naruto lying on the ground, still asleep. She knelt down next to him and took a better look around. The whole of the large room she was in was bathed in a deep golden light that barely illuminated anything. Turning the other way she say a large iron gate, closed with a small paper that read "seal".

Suddenly realizing where she was, she reached down and roused Naruto. "Naruto, wake up, hurry!" Naruto groaned as he opened an eye.

"Didn't I just fall asleep?" Hinata didn't respond but simply gazed back at the gates, as if taking her eyes off of it would mean they would open and release their contents. Naruto sat up and abruptly realized where they were. "Shit… Hinata, if you can, wake up now. You shouldn't be here."

**"Says you." **Hinata cringed and felt her skin crawl as the deep voice permeated the air. Naruto glared at the bared doors. A pair of eyes opened, spreading a red glow over them. Hinata shivered. Undoubtedly, this was the inside of the seal that Naruto bore. Naruto stood and Hinata joined him as he walked closer to the doors. "Why the fuck are we here?!"

Kyuubi's eyes weaved between the two, finally resting on Hinata. Naruto stepped in front of her to shield her from his gaze, but Kyuubi merely shifted his head to peer around him. **"Why ask me? Try asking the shy one behind you."** Naruto turned only slightly to look at Hinata, who shook her head.

"I don't know why we're here Naruto-kun, I swear!" She held her hand in front of her chest, as if begging Naruto to believe her. Naruto looked back to the fox. **"Think back to about a half an hour ago. What was it that she asked of you? Surly you haven't forgotten already." **Naruto's eyes narrowed; he remembered very well what she had asked of him, but he hadn't planned on her being here as well.

"I ask again; why the fuck are _we_ here?!" Kyuubi chuckled slightly, sending tingly signals down Hinata's spine. How Naruto dealt with the demon so confidently shocked her.

**"I hate explaining things, but since the both of you are so stupid, I don't really have choice. The reason you're _both_ here is because, boy, this is your soul. When two souls become one, either physically or figuratively, they can enter each other's mind-scapes. Due to your ruckus love-making, and the emotions stemming from it, you two have joined in both soul and body. _That's_ why you're both here." **Kyuubi looked back to the girl.

**"Now, wasn't there something you wanted your mate to ask me, little whore?"** Before Hinata could respond, Naruto began yelling at the giant fox. "Hey!! I don't care what you say about me, but don't you dare insult Hinata! I won't stand for it, you hear me?!"

Kyuubi growled at him, but whether in amusement or irritation, neither of them could tell. Hinata's breath was nearly caught in her chest as she watched how Naruto talked back to probably the most evil and destructive creature on the planet. "I-It's alright Naruto-kun, h-he can say what he wants."

Naruto looked back at her, his eyes flaring anger. "No! Stick up for yourself Hinata! Just because he's powerful doesn't mean he can just do as he pleases."

He turned back to the fox. "You talk to her respectfully or this conversation is over!" Kyuubi chuckled grimly. **"Aren't _you_ the one who wanted to ask _me_ about something? I have everything to gain by you leaving."**Naruto reflected the Kyuubi's gaze back at him.

"You're the one who brought us here, so you obviously wanted to talk to us about something too." Kyuubi's mouth opened in an animalistic grin. **"Fine. You go first then." **Naruto continued his glare, as Hinata looked on, unable to do anything in this position.

"It's about you intruding on our personal lives. While we were… busy… You leaked your chakra out of me and made me end up hurting her. Not only that, but it infected her too, causing her to lose her sanity of a while. I want you to promise _not_ to do that ever again!"

Kyuubi laughed at their expense. **"You humans really don't understand it do you? Very well, I shall elaborate. Since my chakra leaks out of you in moments of extreme passion, either hate or lust, its ends up swirling all everywhere, easily affecting those around you. You're right though, that wouldn't explain how she was affected in that way. The answer is simple; she is compatible with my power." **

Both Naruto and Hinata blinked in surprise and confusion. "What do you mean, 'compatible'?" Kyuubi continued. **"Oddly enough, the one person that loved you your entire life, was the probably one of the few people in the world that can wield my chakra."** Noting their still-confused glances Kyuubi sighed. **_'Why am I surrounded by incompetence?'_**

**"Ok, it's very simple. The Human body is not designed to handle a Bijuu's power, so sealing it within an adult is a guaranteed fatality. That is why they must be sealed within newborns, as they will be able to adapt to our power as they grow. However, that doesn't mean just any child can be sealed. Only certain children are compatible with us. This is determined by having at least one part of their future personality and-or soul similar to our own. That's right boy, your soul, whether presently or in the future will be very similar to my own, one way or another."**

He looked over at Hinata. **"Of course, that also means that her future personality or soul will be similar in at least one way as well. I don't have the answer for 'why'. Kami decides this, not me. But because she is compatible with my energy, she isn't affected, harmfully, by my energy, but rather absorbs it as her own. Does that answer your question?"**

Naruto linked hands with Hinata and shook his head. "Not all of it. That still doesn't explain why we were so violent to each other."

Hinata spoke up, swallowing her fear, as Naruto seemed so easily able to do. "I-I know I would n-never hurt Naruto-kun, and I'm sure he would never hurt me on purpose."

Kyuubi scoffed at them. **"…Are all humans as stupid as you two? All humans are beasts! They have hidden their instincts behind masks they call civility and morals! My chakra merely makes you revert back to those base instincts, and depending on the emotion, you'll react accordingly. If you're angry you'll act like an angry animal, or like earlier, if you're lustful, you act like a lustful animal. It's that simple."**

"That still doesn't explain why me and Hinata hurt each other!"

**"Did you not hear a word I just said? My chakra only feeds on and amplifies the beast within you. I don't take over your mind without sever provocation, as you well know, brat. In other words, everything you two did was of your own volition, I had no control over it." **

Hinata gasped and Naruto shook his head. "I refuse to believe that! There's no way I would ever hurt Hinata, and she just said the same about me!"

Kyuubi turned around in his cages and curled up into a ball. **"Then perhaps you simply haven't realized your own animalistic impulses. Your actions were drawn from your deep, dark desires. Even if you swear you would never want to hurt her, or you him…"** He flicked a tail at Hinata. **"…Your actions obviously speak differently. At least take comfort in the fact that you are only acting the way you always secretly wanted to, rather than have me in control. I'm certain that you'd prefer your own dark lust to my own. Now get out of here!" **Hinata was about ready to cry, as Naruto grabbed her hand and lead her to the door on the other side of the room.

**"One last thing actually…"** They stop walking and glance back at the soon-to-be slumbering demon fox. **"…I am a merely the consciousness of an infinite mass of chakra. If she stores up too much of my chakra inside her, she'll eventually need a seal to keep it in check. If left alone, it might develop a personality of its own, just like me… maybe." **Both Naruto's an Hinata's eyes widened as they heard the Kyuubi's warning, but before they could question him further, Naruto's mindscape began to fade and distort until they found themselves awake in each other's arms.

Hinata began to tear up. "N-Naruto?" Naruto focused his eyes on her, attempting to pierce the darkness of the room. "What is it, Hinata?" She had her arms on front of her as if for protection, but she pressed up against his chest. Letting his arms twist around her. "You have to believe me Naruto-kun! I would _never _think of hurting you! Never!" Naruto soothed her as he ran a hand through her silky hair. "It's ok Hinata. If what he said is true, then we were only doing what we naturally wanted to do. It doesn't excuse me from hurting you, but at least now we know that it's not his fault."

"But I hurt you too, Naruto! I... I don't know if I can forgive myself…" Naruto pulled her head in and locked lips with her. She consented and began to kiss him back. When they broke apart, Naruto smiled at her. "How 'bout this then? The next time we do it, you can do whatever you want with me. You just let yourself go, don't worry about me. The Kyuubi's chakra heals me so I'll be fine."

Hinata's sobbing slowed down. "B-But, I don't want t hurt you…"

"It didn't hurt Hinata. At the time, it actually felt good! So don't worry about hurting me, 'K?" Hinata nodded into his chest. "T-Then, *sniff*, y-you can do the same with me. Since the Kyuubi's chakra healed me too, I'll be fine as well."

"But what if it doesn't heal you? Just 'cuz it happened once doesn't mean it'll happen again."

**"It will."** Both of them jumped as they heard the Kyuubi's voice in their heads. _'Well, that answers my concern.'_

Hinata smiled bravely. "Well, you heard him, it will." Naruto sighed and chuckled exhaustedly. "Alright, alright! You win!" Hinata chuckled and flipped him in the nose. He recoiled and rubbed it, smiling at the same time.

"What was that for?" She smiled and pulled his arms around her. "I have to keep you in check now, so get used to it." Naruto sighed and allowed his arms to be wrapped around her. He leaned up to her ear and whispered. "I love you, Hina-hime."

Hinata stated at that, and joyful tears began to form at the corner of her eyes. "I-I love you too, Naruto-kun!" She smiled, though her lip trembled. He snuggled his head up against her back, letting her know he was ready for sleep. She got the message and wiped the water from her eyes, closing them and drifting off to sleep herself.

Naruto looked over at the clock and it read only 12:09 am. Which was surprising considering everything they'd done; They had sex, which was probably three hours, then they washed, half an hour, then the conversation with the Kyuubi, which Naruto assumed to be another half an hour.

Naruto assumed that they must have started around 8:30 or maybe a little later, but he knew that conversations within his mind with the Kyuubi were always time-distorted. He closed his eyes as well and began to drift off. The last though he had before he lost himself to his dreams was that he had the most beautiful girl in his arms, and she was all his.

Naruto was still curiouse about why the love bites that Naruto and Hinata had shared hadn't healed with the other sex wounds they had inflicted on each other. **"My gift to you. Enjoy."** Naruto sweat dropped. _'Somehow I feel that the Kyuubi is just out to make my life miserable.'_ He sighed and closed his eyes and presently drifted off to sleep.

Of course, there was a nagging in the back of his head as to where that lake came from, he was certain it wasn't there before… Oh well.

* * *

**_Two and half hours prior…_**

Sakura had decided to bring more sheets for Naruto and Hinata considering the fact that there was only one bed. True she had teased them about having sex, but she felt it only appropriate that she at least try and help them live with as little awkwardness as possible. As she approached the house and noticed all the lights were out.

_'They must have already fallen asleep. I guess they wouldn't mind if I woke them up to give them these.'_ She guessed that one of them would probably take the bed while the other slept on the floor. She prayed for his own safety that Naruto had been polite enough to offer the bed to Hinata.

Knowing him, he probably didn't. She placed the sheets in front of the door as she climbed the side of the building. What surprised her was that see couldn't see anyone anywhere. Finally she spotted a room that had a sheet and a pillow in it, but no one in it. _'The only room I haven't checked then is the master bedroom. They wouldn't still be up at this hour would they?'_ It never entered Sakura's mind what else they might have been doing.

She dropped down and rounded the side of the house. She stopped just below one of the master bedroom's windows. There appeared at least some sort of light flickering from the glass pane. Before she was able to scale the wall, her acute ninja hearing picked up some odd sounds, stopping her in her tracks.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to decipher what the noises were, but couldn't make it out from her position. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she began to quietly crawl up the wall. _'I'm not eaves dropping; I'm just making sure Hinata is ok. Yeah! She could be in pain, so I'm just checking on her.'_ Sakura attempted to reason away her guilt as she crawled up to the side of the window and took a silent deep breath.

She looked inside and paled, completely frozen. Inside she could definitely make out Naruto and Hinata, but it was what they were doing that made her halt indefinitely.

Hinata was sitting on Naruto's crotch, and was moaning deeply. Then she spied the reason for her moaning. Hinata had no top on, or even a bra, to which Naruto was taking full advantage. Sakura began to blush and heat up as she watched Naruto stroke her nipples and cause her to moan out.

_'N-Naruto's actually…?! I can't believe it! He's probably forcing her into this, that perverted bastard! I gonna beat the shit out of him, and then some for this!'_ But before she was able to jump in, she saw as Hinata pull his head closer into her chest as he continued to eat her breasts, she became more and more convinced that it was completely consensual. Sakura was burning up from just watching and could feel herself become wet in her nether regions.

With her last bit of self control, she pulled away from the scene only to find herself panting in excitement and shock. She silently dropped to the ground and leaned against the wall, attempting to catch her breath. Her eyes were wide with surprise, even after seeing it, her rational mind refused to believe it. _'N-Naruto is… Hinata is…! Oh God… Is this relay happening? I didn't actually think they would _do it!_ Maybe I should leave. Yeah, they wouldn't like me spying on them.'_

But before she could move, a hearty moan escaped from the upstairs window. Sakura instantly found images invading her mind, and her knees buckling. An undeniable urge made itself known in between her legs. Sakura squeezed her legs together, trying to hold herself in check, but a she felt her dampness increase, she realized how much she _really_ needed to release herself.

Sitting down against the side of the house, she instantly spread her legs and let her fingers rub against her sopping pussy. He brought her other hand to her both to muffle her own mans as she listened to Naruto and Hinata get it on. Unable to satisfy herself with just that, she took out a kunai and cut a slit right over her pussy, feeling unable to waste time actually pulling her pants down.

She instantly let her right hand begin to massage her lips, and then moving on to drench her fingers in her juices. Her body begging for release, she let two fingers enter her and pump back and forth, not caring about how wet her pants were becoming. She bit the palm of her hand as a moan nearly escaped her lips. She added another two fingers enter her, despite how much it was spreading her.

Sakura was an insertion fanatic; ever since she had discovered masturbation, she had always experimented with herself, sticking random objects inside her. These objects were only limited by anything that would fit inside her. If it didn't fit, she wouldn't use it; if she felt she could make it fit, she used it.

Her pussy made sucking sound as her four fingers pumped in and out. Sakura threw her head back in ecstasy, but for some reason she still felt she could get more. Curling her ass, she inserted her thumb as well. She waited a moment to adjust and slowly pushed her hand into herself. Her right leg began spasming as she pushed her whole fist into herself, and immediately began pushing in and out.

Replacing her gagging hand with a kunai, she reached down and lifted her clit hood and began rubbing it for all it was worth. She pinched and flicked her clit while shoving her hand as in as deep as she could go. She wanted so bad for a release of any kind that she flipped her hand around and began pressing against her g-spot. Her breath became ragged and fast as she felt herself nearing the edge.

Taking the kunai out of her mouth, she took the ring of it and began massaging her clit, sending sensations screaming up her back and into her mind. The feeling of the cold metal on her oh-so-sensitive clit was too much as she felt herself explode and the juices begin to build up in her dammed pussy. Pulling her hand out with a "suction pop" she felt her juices squirt out of her and onto the ground. She suddenly realized that another set of muscles were opening and felt a hot stream of urine arch out of her and spill onto the ground.

She sighed immensely as a small bit of urine dripped down into her pants, soaking her pussy and ass. She instantly felt guilt and shame run through her as she realized she had just used her teammate and comrade's love session for her own pleasure. She replaced the kunai and stood shakily. She instantly ran out of the yard and back into the darkness.

Since her pussy was exposed, due to her cutting her pants, she could feel the chill air rushing past her as her juices dripped to the ground while she ran. She regretted not bringing anything to dry herself off with, and tried to ignore the exciting feeling she got from running with her pussy exposed. What's worse is that the crotch of her pants was exposed to the world, so anyone could see her. Thankfully it was fairly late by now, and since everyone had been working day and night on repairs, everyone was tired and didn't stay up late, instead retiring early so they could get up earlier in the morning.

However there was one person she did know that would be able to get her conscience right, at least a little bit. She got to his house, but before knocking reached into her bag and got a few safety pins out, and pinned the two front flaps of her skirt together with them, successfully hiding her exposed pussy.

Brushing herself off, she rapped on the door three times, earning a groan from inside. The door opened to reveal a very miffed looking Yamato. Sakura did her best to put on her normal look, and thankfully, since he was half asleep, bought it and didn't notice the safety pins.

"Naaaaaa-ahhhh… What is it Sakura?" he yawned out. Sakura glared at him and grabbed him by the collar. "Come on Yamato-taicho, you've got something to do!" Yamato was half dragged, half thrown by Sakura over to Naruto's house. "Ok, I'm here, now what's so urgent that I need to do it at 11:30 at night?"

Sakura pointed to the field behind the house. "Make a lake with trees surrounding it for privacy." Yamato sweat dropped. "Um, if you don't my asking, WHY?!"

Sakura gave him the scary-face jutsu and cracked her knuckles. "Because both Naruto and Hinata are going to need to get cleaned up eventually, and there's no water in the house. I'm not going to have my teammate stinking like an ass, or a friend turn people away simply because you're too lazy to add a lake!!"

Yamato sweat dropped and cringed at the same time. "H-hai! One lake coming up!!" he said with fake enthusiasm. Flipping through a set of hand signs- "And do it quietly, don't wake them up." –and quietly placing his palm against the ground. Trees began to grow out of the ground in a large circle, and water seeped from the ground filling the large tree-lined basin with water. Yamato sighed as he finished. "Now, can I go back to bed?"

Sakura looked at is handiwork. "It's decent. You can go." Yamato shunshin-ed away, not wanting to lose any more time away from his bed. Sakura looked back to the lit window in the back and felt an odd rush of emotions. She didn't know how far they went, but she knew that Hinata had at least gotten oral on her breasts by Naruto. She was too far away to hear anything, but she could still see shadows against the windows.

She turned away and headed home. Was she happy? Or was she sad? Why would she be sad? _'I mean, if Naruto gets a girl, I should be thankful, right? And I should be happy that Hinata finally got Naruto to notice her. But, why do I feel… jealous? Sigh, I'm just going to go home, dry out my pussy in front of a fire and go to bed.'_

And so she did. Thankfully her parents were asleep as well, so she didn't have to worry about them walking in on her spread legs in front of a fire. Thank God for that.

* * *

Naruto's eyes fluttered open. In front of his face was a mass of silky midnight-blue hair. She was turned away from him, but Naruto could tell she was smiling. He looked over her shoulder at the clock and saw it read 2:15 pm. He was surprised that they had _both _slept in so late.

He shifted to get up but found that part of him was stuck. He looked under the covers and found his member locked between her legs brushing against her cunt. He blushed as he realized that they must have been doing it even in their sleep. He peered over her on the other side and saw that there was a fresh spot on the mattress where his cum has apparently landed from her massaging his cock with her legs.

He smiled nonetheless and reached down to have one hand grab her butt, which seemed both sticky and soft, sticky for a reason he had already guessed, and the other one lift her leg slight so he could retrieve himself. Hinata moaned disappointedly as he did so and he chuckled softly at her innocence.

He remembered what Ero-Sennin had told him about virgins. Some virgins, when they have sex for the first time, have sex even in their sleep. All those hormones they had stored up for years, and then suddenly released their first time, would continue to pour out even in their subconscious.

He smiled at the memory of his deceased teacher. If it weren't for him, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to do half of what he did with Hinata last night. He sighed at the sensation of Hinata's backside pressing against him in an attempt to get him off in her sleep.

He stroked her hair gently out of her face. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her. He whispered to her ear. "Sorry, Hinata, I've got something to do before I forget." he kissed her on the cheek and got out of bed. "I'll be back."

He quickly redressed himself and left a note on the nightstand. He leapt out the window and walked around to the front lawn. Creating a pair of shadow clones, he sent them off to their duties. He himself leapt into the trees and toward a specific destination.

* * *

**A/N: Well i hoped you liked it, and if you were able to stay dry through the whole thing, then you deserve a cookie!! To be honest, this is only the second lemon i've ever written, so if it disturbs you or doesnt turn you on, then i can understand it. (if you must know, i wrote those scenes when i was T.O. so thats kind of what i was imagining as my fingers wrote it down) I think it became very obviouse very quickly around the middle of the scene tha i had run out of adjectives XD WHat can i say, i write them all in a blur and dont have any to spare for later. Anyway, yeah, i can understand it if you dont like it. But, if you didnt like it, you have ANOTHER CHAPTER TO READ AND REVIEW!! ON TO PART THREE!! GO! GO! GO!!**

**Seriousely, sorry if you hated it.**

**OH! And i almost forgot. Im pretty sure my parents are monitoring my email, so if you have comments about the lemon, please only refer to it as "the lemon". If they knew all of what i was writing i'd be screwed, and this story would be put on inefinate (near permanent) hold. So yeah, take precautions.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Past Pt 3

**A/N: YAY!!! PART THREE OF MY "The Past" arc and part 2 of my "Two Chapter Apology Special," WOOT!!! READ AND REVIEW PEOPLE!!!**

* * *

**_The Past - Pt. 3_**

Hiashi was furious. Hinata had somehow escaped, and without anyone noticing. He figured it must have been late that night, seeing as they found out early this morning. He was already thinking of all the ways he was going to punish her when she was found, but he had to focus on that; finding her. _'Where in the world would she go? She's not at the hospital, which I would have assumed she go, if not to that boy's house. So that's all that's left, the boy. Who might it be?'_

He sent out messengers to the Aburame and Inuzuka. After all, who else would she go to? He was also going to pay a special visit to her sensei, Kurenai if the others came up dry. Currently he was walking through the lines of buildings that consisted of the improvised Hyuuga compound. Neji was next on his list. He knew that the two had been improving their relationship over the past few years, but he doubted that they would be audacious to form an incestuous relationship both out of marriage and class.

What he did not doubt was that Neji might have helped her escape in some way. As luck would have it Neji was walking his way.

"Neji." Neji stopped and faced him. "Yes, Hiashi-sama?" Hiashi approached him so they were only a foot apart. "Neji, I'm going to ask you something, and you're going to answer, understand?"

"Of course, Hiashi-sama. What is it?"

"Do you know where Hinata is, and, did you in any way help her escape from her room last night?" Neji shook his head. "No I don't, and no I didn't. I was busy handling the Branch family in settling in to their homes. As for where she could currently be, I wouldn't have a clue. She was never open about her friendships or relationships." Hiashi groaned, but detected no lie in Neji's words.

"Very well then. Thank you Neji, you may proceed." Neji bowed and moved on. Hiashi moved on as well, heading to his own quarters, when a messenger came up to him and bowed. "Hiashi-sama, someone requested to meet you immediately." Hiashi quirked an eyebrow.

"Who is it?" The messenger kept her head bowed as she replied. "He wished to remain anonymous. But he is easily recognizable." Hiashi groaned. This was the _last _thing he needed right now.

"Fine, where is he?" The messenger indicated toward the front of the compound. Hiashi walked off without another word. As soon as he got to the outer edge of the complex, he saw a figure facing away from him. He had blond hair, orange pants and black t-shirt on. Hiashi could have guessed immediately who it was, but just to make sure he cleared his throat.

The figure turned, and his suspicions were confirmed. Indeed, it was Uzumaki Naruto standing there. As he turned, he could see he had an impassive face donned. "Uzumaki Naruto…"

"Hyuuga Hiashi." Naruto inclined his head slightly. Hiashi glared at him. "To what do I owe this… honor?" Hiashi remembered, he was the village hero now. Naruto placed his hands in his pockets.

"Like you don't know. It should be obvious why I'm here." Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "It's not, unfortunately. Why don't you clarify?" Naruto began walking slowly around Hiashi, who mimicked the movement. Whatever this boy wanted, he meant business. Naruto turned his head to look at Hiashi, though he kept walking.

"I could ask you the same thing. Clarify for me, Hiashi-_sama_, for what reason would a man willingly hurt his own daughter?"

Hiashi continued to stare at him. _'Could it be him?'_

"For what other reason than disappointment?"

"Well that's odd…"

"What is?"

"That your daughter isn't a disappointment at all. Quite the opposite, she excels at everything she does." Hiashi scowled deeply at him.

"Are you saying that it's you that my daughter wouldn't betray? I must say I'm surprised. I assumed that if she were to blatantly violate my orders, that she would have at least had the mental capacity to choose a decent delinquent to desecrate herself with." He added the last part with a smirk.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto's flashed red before returning to their normal ocean blue.

"Don't… _ever_… speak about her that way. I'm astonished! I had always thought fathers were supposed to protect their children to nurture them in their growth, not be the tumor that stunts it." Hiashi lost his smirk and continued his glare. Now it was Naruto's turn to smirk.

"You've lodged yourself in her mind, constantly reminding her how weak she is, how worthless she is. I wonder how long she's been forced to endure you… That in and of itself proves her worth, if only to me."

Hiashi cocked his head at him. "You really think that she's _worth_ anything? _Her? _Please… don't be so naïve. Only an utter fool would believe such nonsense." Naruto lowered his gaze, a shadow crossing his face.

"…How do you prevent an infection from spreading when you don't have a medical ninja with you?" Hiashi readied himself.

"You _amputate_, the infected limb!!" Naruto looked back up, his eyes red and slitted. Hiashi narrowed his eyes and activated his Byakugan. He was no fool. If this boy could defeat the leader of Akatsuki, then he would be hard pressed to defeat him. However, it was not an impossibility.

"A good suggestion actually. I've been thinking about doing that very thing." Naruto narrowed his eyes now. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if the limb is useless or infected with no hope of healing, you simply remove it before it becomes a bother. But you have made an incorrect assumption in believing that _I_ am the one that needs amputating."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "You wouldn't dare…" Hiashi sighed. "Don't think such things when you know nothing about me. You, a child, could never understand what I stand to gain from disowning Hinat-"

He was suddenly dowsed in an immeasurably powerful aura of malice and anger. "If that's the way you feel, you don't _get_ to say her name."

Hiashi readied himself. "You aren't really foolish enough to attack me are you?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's not like anything would happen. After all, my public image is even greater than yours. At least I can justify my actions. After all, I wonder how the public will respond to word getting out about how you treat your own daughter… how _I_ protected her… How I fought for her honor… Winning, in _any_ way is impossible for you."

"It's called diplomatic immunity, boy. What happens within the clan is the clan's business. Not even the Hokage has jurisdiction over it."

**(Ignition by Toby Mac)**

He didn't have time to think before his face impacted with the ground. "Let's see your jurisdiction over that!"

Hiashi whirled back up and struck out at Naruto, only to see him flick his wrist and his strike went wide. Hiashi spun to recall his out flung limb and reoriented to strike with both palms in his chest. Naruto brought both arms before him to block the strike, which they did. Hiashi smirked and attacked again only to see Naruto throw a punch to his gut.

He slapped the attack away, but again was hit by an invisible wall. He coughed and doubled over from the force of the blow. Naruto stood back a bit as Hiashi fell to his knees. He coughed again, a trickle of blood dripping from his mouth.

"Hiashi, I am stronger than you."

Hiashi glared at him, noticing the cross-slit pupils and red pigmented eyes, and abruptly got up and spun, shooting chakra from his body as it formed a rapidly expanding dome.

"**Kaiten**!!"

Naruto merely stretched out his hand and caught the dome of chakra, and pressed against it. Clawing his fingers, he swung his arm out, dispelling the technique.

Hiashi stopped spinning to look at Naruto with wide eyes.

"Techniques of that level won't work on me."

Hiashi snarled. He lowered himself into an all too familiar stance. Naruto brought his hands together in the ram seal preparing himself.

"**Hakke, Rokujūyon Shō!!**" Hiashi pointed his fingers and struck at Naruto. Two strikes impacted… four strikes, eight strikes, sixteen strikes, thirty-two strikes, and finally sixty-four strikes. Naruto grunted at the final finger stab.

He slid back a foot but stayed standing. Naruto coughed lightly but smirked. "Eheh… Heheheheh…" He looked up and flared his chakra. It was clearly visible as it burned around him. It was a statement; _You did nothing._

Hiashi's eyes widened. "Impossible…" By now many members of the Hyuuga household were rushing to the scene of attention. They stopped cold when they saw Hiashi and Naruto standing apart, ready to fight.

Naruto lowered his arms from the guard position they were in and placed them in his pockets. "I used the Sage chakra to create a shield around me. As soon as the chakra you had in your fingers hit it, it disrupted it, rendering your strikes useless. I don't really have a choice but to compare it to your Rotation, but without the spinning."

Naruto vanished and appeared before Hiashi. Before a single muscle could be twitched, Hiashi found himself bent over Naruto's fist as it imbedded itself in his gut. A burst of blood spurted from his mouth.

"Hiashi, against me, you're nothing." He let Hiashi fall to the ground. Hiashi held his arms close to his gut, feeling the sharp crack of pain from them. He was sure he had a few broken ribs as well.

**(Numb by Linkin Park)**

"The great bird of the sky tried to force it's chicks to fly. Yet for the first born, it was still too early. So it abandoned her, believing her useless, and removed her from the nest. That flightless chick was found by a lowly kitsune, and nurtured as its own."

Hiashi looked up to see Naruto staring down at him. "Who would have guessed that the very monster who would have eaten her on any other occasion, would know the same pain as her? And with loving support, that bird soared into the sky, surpassing all others, unbeknownst to the father that spurned her."

Hiashi grit his teeth at the analogy. "Hiashi. You pushed too hard. You broke the very creature God set upon this earth for you to protect. Now God has found another to treat her as she deserves; another to love her. Where you failed, I will succeed. Because I…" Naruto raised his fist and pounded it against his chest. "…I believe in her."

Hiashi struggled to stand, and managed to do so only slightly, hunching over from the pain. "There… is no… _possible_ way for her to escape that fate. Hanabi… succeeded where that child failed, and she was trained the same! It's simple fact; she is unsuited for success."

Naruto grabbed Hiashi by his shirt and hefted him up to eye-level. "All creation wishes only to be loved by its creator. But when they are spurned by their creators, hate, and malice replace that yearning for acknowledgement and love. You're lucky she hasn't committed suicide from depression yet! And why she failed? She failed because you were too blinded by your arrogance that you didn't see what was happening right in front of your fuckin' face! Don't blame the student for failing; blame the teacher that failed her."

Naruto brought Hiashi in closer and whispered, "You're going to keep Hinata in the family, and you're going to apologize, in front of the whole clan for your actions. Not only that, you're going to accept any decision Hinata makes regarding her standing with you." Naruto didn't wait for Hiashi to respond and dropped him, letting him fall to the ground.

Naruto turned and walked away. Hiashi seemed dumbfounded. As the rest of the clan looked at him and back to Naruto, they seemed divided on whether they should attack him or not. One of them seemed a bit too eager and was about to jump at Naruto when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned and saw Neji, shaking his head. The youth lowered his arms and looked toward the defeated clan head. A small figure with a simple purple training outfit (I'll change that when I see her in the manga) approached the grounded Hiashi. Sensing the person, he turned and saw Hanabi looking at him with a startled face.

"Hanabi?" Hanabi simply stared at him. "Otou-san, is what he said true? That you focused on me instead of Hinata-nee-san because you thought she was weak?" Hiashi didn't say a thing but just stared at her. Hanabi's face became enraged and she slapped him across the face.

Hiashi was stunned that Hanabi would do such a thing. He kept his eyes on her, his mouth slightly agape. She stayed a few seconds, but violently ran past him in the direction Naruto had gone.

Hiashi slowly placed his hand to his cheek, still feeling the stinging sensation that was brought to it. He looked after Hanabi as she disappeared into the streets.

* * *

Naruto opened the door and stepped inside, placing his shoes by the door. He smelled pancakes and walked to the kitchen to see Hinata standing in front of the stove, making, as he guessed, pancakes. She was clothed only in one of his black short sleeved shirts that came down only just low enough not to show her rear or nether regions. He blushed as he walked up to her and hugged her from behind. She was slightly startled, but easily realized it was him.

After a minute of him hugging her, he kissed her neck and whispered. "Good morning Hina-hime." She blushed slightly at the title, but turned her head to peck him on the lips. "Good morning Naruto-kun. I was surprised you'd left."

Naruto smiled gently. "Sorry 'bout that, there was something I had to do. One time deal." Hinata smiled as he held onto her, and whispered in her ear. "Well, I made breakfast, so it'll only be a little while before you can dig in."

Naruto looked over her shoulder and nearly drooled. "Looks _good!_ I can't wait!" She smiled and reluctantly pushed him off her so she could get breakfast ready.

* * *

Hanabi finally tracked Naruto down a rather ordinary house off the beaten path. She looked around and saw no one, so she activated her Byakugan to search for him. She found him inside… hugging Hinata?! Her mouth was slightly open, genuinely surprised to see her sister even near him. She had picked up on her hidden feelings not long ago, but never learned who they were for.

Having read her sisters diary had been no help at all. All of the juicy stuff seemed to have been ripped out after being written, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out where she put them.

Never the less, now she knew. It was for this Uzumaki Naruto; that much was clear. She deactivated her Byakugan and ran up to the door and barged in, too caught up in her disbelief to worry about politeness.

"Hinata-nee-san!" She yelled as she swung the door open. Naruto spun and had a kunai already in hand as he saw Hanabi. He stood in between Hinata and herself, the latter of which seemed to instantly recognize her and hide behind the blond.

"Hanabi-chan?!" Hinata cried out from behind Naruto in worried surprise. Naruto put his knife away, realizing they were sisters, but stayed where he was, his hand out behind him as he tried to shield Hinata, for good reason. Hanabi looked at Hinata's rapidly reddening face and Naruto's protective stance and raised an eyebrow. It was then her eyes spied Hinata's bare legs, and her nearly exposed pelvis.

In that instant, her not-so-naïve mind processed the information her eyes unfortunately continued to give her every second she stared. Her own face went red and her eyes went wide. "H-Hinata-nee san?! W-w-what-?" Hinata was quick to run over to her sister and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Hanabi-chan, please don't tell father! He'll kill me if he finds out!!" Hinata half whispered half yelled at her younger sibling. She was about to cry as well as she realized how volatile their situation had now become. Hanabi was simply shocked as she looked her sister up and down. Hinata had to bend over slightly to reach her sister's eye level, so her borrowed, oversized shirt revealed a large amount of cleavage.

Hanabi reach down to the hem of the shirt in lifted it slightly, confirming her fears; Hinata wasn't wearing anything on her lower half. Hanabi looked back up toward Naruto as if to say, _"You did __it?!__"_ who blushed deeply and avoided her eyes. Hinata brought her hands to Hanabi's cheeks and brought her sister's face back to hers.

"Please, Hanabi-chan! Please don't tell anyone about this!" Hanabi reclaimed control over her open mouth and stammered out to Hinata, "D-did you really have _sex_ with _him?_" Hinata blushed but nodded. Hanabi's eyes began to roll back in her head and she fainted. Naruto sweat dropped as Hinata had to catch her unconscious sister. Naruto sighed nervously.

"I guess we should put her upstairs right for now." Hinata instead laid her sister down and began sobbing. Naruto was instantly at her side with his arms around her as she instinctively clung to him, burying her face in his chest. "I-I'm s-s-scared, N-Naruto-kun…"

Naruto ran his hair through her hair and smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Hina-chan, I don't think we need to worry about her." Hinata continued to sob into his shirt. "H-how can y-you be s-sure?"

Naruto smiled gently. "If she was angry, she would have run out in rage. She was more surprised than anything, I think. Either way, I don't think we need to worry about your dad finding out." Hinata's sobbing subsided a bit as she heard Naruto's comforting words. She wiped away the tears from her eyes as she looked to Naruto who smiled.

He lifted her to her feet and helped her over the table and sat her down. "I'll go put your sister up stairs and I'll come back down." Hinata nodded and looked downcast at the food. She heard as Naruto picked up her sister, went upstairs, and came back down. He went to the kitchen and got the food, which was by now ready, and brought it out and set it on the table.

He set out the food, and realized he had plenty to spare. Between them, they had about 10 pancakes, two bottles of syrup, toast, blueberries, strawberries, orange juice and milk. Naruto smiled as he looked at the food. Naruto distributed the food, giving half of it all, and then some to Hinata. She had seven of the pancakes, a medium sized bowl of blueberries, half the strawberries, a cup of orange juice and milk respectively, and three pieces of toast.

She looked back at Naruto surprised. "What's wrong Naruto-kun, I thought you were hungry." Naruto smiled as he ate a bite of his pancakes. "Whell, *Gulp,* since you never got to eat anything at the compound, I thought I'd let you have most of the food. I mean, you ate more than I did the other day, so I figured that you would want more of the food. N-not to say that it isn't good, it's delicious! But I just thought… you know."

Hinata's face was frozen in shock for a moment before softening into a smile. "Arigato, Naruto-kun." She turned back to her food and dug in, surprisingly finishing all her food before Naruto, who was only a minute or two behind her. "Ohhhh man, if we keep eating like this, were going to need to by more food by dinner. Oh well, no expense is too high!" He looked over at Hinata and grinned from ear to ear, his eyes closing in the process. Hinata smiled as well and laughed at him slightly.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he saw he was no longer at his house. The high rock ceiling indicated it was some sort of cave, but it was all alight with golden light. He also noticed that he was laying down. He sat up and attempted to gather is bearings. It was all fuzzy until memories of the other night came rushing back. Instantly anger flared through him, but disappeared as he heard a groan from beside him.

Whipping his head around he saw Hinata sitting up next to him holding her head. She didn't even know what happened before she felt herself in a bone crushing hug by her husband. "N-N-Naruto-un! You're… crushing… me!" She felt the world fall on top of her as he instantly let go.

"Sorry, Sorry! I'm just glad you're alright!" Hinata's eyes widened in curiosity before she too remembered what had happened the night before. She instantly curled up with her knees to her chest and looked away from Naruto in shame.

"Hinata, as long as you're safe and unharmed, I won't hate or despise you." Naruto said, picking up on Hinata's thoughts. "But… I was raped. I was violated and…! I can hardly stand you looking at me now!" She turned away and hunched over, trying to retreat into herself as much as possible.

When she felt Naruto come up behind her and hug her from behind, she only recoiled that much more. Naruto forced her to him and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear to clear her face. "Hinata, you weren't raped. Well you were, but they were stopped before they could do any really damage. And either way, I don't care if you were raped! You're still my Hina-hime, and that'll never change!" She slowly began to loosen her body and let herself be pulled closer to Naruto.

"I let my guard down. I should have been more careful, more untrusting." Naruto shook his head. "No, you're fine the way you are, it was their fault for taking advantage of you. And they won't be doing that _ever_ again." Hinata turned her head to reveal unshed tears welling in her eyes.

Naruto nodded. "Mayuri, the bastard who ordered your capture didn't approve of them raping you, so he killed them before they could do anything serious. After Sasori recued you, he went after him, but I got to him before he could finish him off. …He got away. I'm sorry Hinata, I couldn't avenge you. But I'll do it right next time! I won't let him get away."

Hinata turned sideways and cupped his cheek with her hand. "Naruto, you don't have to, I mean, I'd rather that everyone just get along, even if I was…"

"That can't happen Hinata, the Shinigami made it impossible, they're the aggressors! They wanted this, so they're going to get it! And I swear, I _swear! _I _will_ find Mayuri and k-"

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted at him angrily. Naruto shut up immediately and looked at her surprised. "Don't ever hurt people over me! Just because they hurt me, doesn't mean that you have to kill them! They have lives too!"

"But Hinata! I can't just forgive them! There are some things I could forgive them of, but this isn't one of them!" Hinata wrapped her arms around him now, not letting him move. "Then I'll just keep you with me so you can't leave! I don't want you to fight Naruto! I don't want you t-… -to leave me Naruto!" She began to sob into his shoulder and he reluctantly comforted her. "Don't worry Hinata, if it's really what you want, I won't fight them. And I won't leave you, e_ver._ That's a promise!" They stayed that way for a few minutes before they separated.

"Naruto, I… I want you to try the seal." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Hinata I have no idea what that will do to you. It worked fine when we were alive, but I have no clue what will do now." She smiled. "It's alright, I believe in you Naruto-kun."

Naruto's face softened and he sighed. "I'll do my best." She nodded and proceeded to take her jacket and shirts off, leaving her in her bra. She laid down and Naruto rested his hands on top of her abdomen. Red chakra began to flow from Naruto's hands and entered into Hinata's body. Naruto continued to pump the energy into her body. He counted down in his head as he watched the energy disappear.

She began to groan as he reached five, and at one she was beginning to shift her position in discomfort. He bit his thumb and index finger on both hands and drew an identical seal to his own on her belly. The seal instantly began to burn itself into her body and she stopped groaning and moving. Naruto was only slightly relieved. The seal began to glow blue as the red chakra seeped into it.

He held his breath and switched to reiryoku. Red energy swirled around him and shot into her. "How're you feeling Hinata? Everything alright?" She nodded.

"I feel fine, I don't think there's much f a difference in results for this." Naruto sighed in relief. "Good, 'cuz you're sucking me dry here." He removed his hands and the glowing blue seal disappeared.

Naruto had created the seal long ago to protect Hinata. By sealing a large amount of Kyuubi energy into her, she became a pseudo-Jinchūriki, capable of calling upon small portions of the Fox's chakra, but unable to use it to the extent Naruto could. In the event of a crisis, or her life is in danger, the Chakra would leak out and form a one-tailed chakra shroud. However, the seal could contain vast amounts of chakra, Naruto insisted that he would only ever give three tails worth of power, four being far to much for her to handle without the Kyuubi's healing capabilities.

Unlike other pseudo-Jinchūriki, her chakra wouldn't regenerate over time, and Naruto was forced to refill I every once in a while. However, prolonged contact with the foreign chakra (usually during intimate love sessions) allowed her to gain at least a mild resistance to its harmful properties. But Naruto had no idea what would happen if you use a chakra technique with reiryoku as the medium.

Hinata sat up and put her cloths back on. She was halted when Naruto place his hand on her arm. "What is it Naruto-kun?" Naruto cocked his thumb over his shoulder with a wry smirk on his face.

He was pointing to a hot spring behind him. She smirked as well and dropped her cloths and folded them up. Naruto laid his on top of a rock and jumped in without a second's hesitation. Hinata pulled her underwear off and laid her cloths beside his and calmly waded in. She went over and joined Naruto who was reclining leisurely on the other side.

"Ahhh… This is something we need. Actually we need a vacation, but I doubt well get one anytime soon." Naruto grumbled as Hinata walked in front of him. His eyes wondered and he blushed. "I swear, you get more beautiful every time I see you nude." Hinata turned around, giving him a brief glimpse of her ass before dropping with a splash next to him, throwing water on him in the process.

"A-hey!" He laughed as he wiped the water from his face. She laughed and mock-scolded him, "Now Naruto, you know I don't like it when you stare at me! Because every time you do, it gets harder and harder for me to walk the next morning."

Naruto laugh and leaned back, trying to look cool. "Well I can't help it that my desires are so massive. Besides, you're just so gratifying; I can't get enough you. You're like my own personal brand of heroine. I can't get enough you, your actions, your body…" He let his eyes wander over her half exposed breasts and soft shoulders.

She sighed in exasperation. "You just can't help yourself can you? But I'm not sure if I'm ready for you to have sex with me yet." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I don't really feel like I deserve you Naruto-kun, not after-"

"-Stop right there." Hinata looked at him quizzically. "Hinata, you always deserve me, sometimes I think you deserve more than me. So some other guy did something to you, I'll just have to make you mine again." He rested his arm over her shoulder as she sighed again. "Well, you may be right about me deserving more.."

"Hey!" Naruto reached over and began to tickle her. She tried her best to fend him off but it was futile as he ended up teasing her beasts and inner thighs, though it was under the water. Hinata could feel her body heating up, despite being in already hot water. Naruto slowly stopped tickling and started focusing on arousing Hinata. She didn't try to stop him now. "Mmm… Naruto if you don't stop, ooooh… I'll make it so you can't have erections again."

Naruto smirked at her hollow threat, though she had done that before. She had used it as both a punishment, and as a preparation. By hitting certain pressure points, she could make it impossible for him to have an erection, no matter how horny he was. This, combined with her sometimes teasing him very erotically would cause him to get so horned up, that when she released him… well, just leave it at "released him."

Sometimes when Naruto was too horny, or needed to focus on a mission, she would use it, and when she was ready for him, she released him as well. She had accidentally given him hives from anticipation one time by making him wait a full week before he could relieve himself: she had never done so since then.

But as his hands squeezed her breasts and massaged her pelvis, she felt her head leaning toward his and their lips inching closer. Both of their eyes were closed and were so into the zone they froze as they heard the approaching footsteps of another person. Hinata and Naruto separated instantly, as Ichigo appeared on the horizon.

"Geez, Zangetsu didn't hold back at all! I guess it understandable, but still! *Sigh*, Bankai training… what a pain." He approached the spring and stopped as he saw the two teens, one blushing like mad, and the other glaring at him. There was an awkward moment before Ichigo inhaled and pointed at them.

"WHO THE HELL'RE YOU?!?!" Naruto sweat dropped. "Uhh, dunno."

"What the hell d'ya mean ya don't know?! You should at least tell me your name!" Naruto shrugged. "Namikaze Naruto. Now your turn." Ichigo huffed. "Kurosaki Ichigo, now what the hell're you doing here?"

Naruto sighed, annoyed. "How the hell would I know, one minute I'm beating the shit out of someone and the next I wake up here." Ichigo sighed as well and muttered, "Yoruichi probably has something to do with this." Ichigo then spied Hinata sitting contentedly in the water, her eyes closed while Naruto dealt with the intrusion.

Ichigo stared blankly for a few seconds before her yelled again. "What the hell is that?!" Naruto got a pissed look on his face. "_She_ is my _wife_, fruit-cup. Is that a problem?"

"Damn straight there's a problem! I can't get in there with a girl already in it!" Hinata opened her eyes, slightly frustrated by the noisy teenager in front of her. "Oi! Girl, out!" Hinata snorted at him. "Shut up! Your annoying." Naruto's eyes widened. When Hinata got rude, that meant she was frustrated. He attributed it to living around him, but she had a bad side to her, though it was usually hidden. Now, not so much.

"What the hell d'you say?!"

"I said your annoying, and becoming exceedingly more so."

"You wanna say that to my face?!"

"I just did."

Ichigo's ears spewed steam as a massive tick mark appeared on his forehead. _'What a bitch! I'm doing Bankai training and she just up and think she deserves the hot spring more than me?! Geez, just look at her sitting there totally exposed and vulnerable-'_ His face became red instantly and his eyes lowered to the valley between her breasts, which were half submerged. Hinata looked at him curiously and followed his gaze down to her breasts. She grew instantly red and "eep!!"-ed and crossed her arms over her chest and sank into the water as quick as she could, leaving only half her face exposed.

Naruto was in front of her instantly. He stood up and spread his arms out to shield her from Ichigo's perverted stare. "Hey! Lookin' aint free punk! One broken limb each!"

"What the hell?! I wasn't peeking!! What kind of guy do you think I am?!"

"An extremely perverted one obviousely!"

"Why you little-!" He stopped. His eyes went wide. "What… is that?"

Naruto, not trusting the over hormonal teen, shifted only his face, and only a slightly to look behind him where Ichigo was pointing. His breath caught in his chest. Where Hinata had been hiding was now floating a large wolf. It was quite large, with midnight blue fur and lavender splotches here and there; the entire underneath, including the underside of the animal was lavender, and sported pale lavender eyes.

"H, Hinata?" To his surprise the wolf turned its head slightly to regard him, a blush oddly noticeable on its face. Even more odd; it spoke! "W-what?" Naruto stared for a few moments before smacking his palm against his forehead.

"I did say I had no idea what that seal would do." Wolf-Hinata looked at him curiously, but Naruto only indicated to the water. Looking down she saw her reflection. She gasped as she moved her head to the side, trying to get a look at her animal form. "I-is this from the seal?"

Naruto nodded. "Looks like since the seal was a hybrid of both chakra and reiryoku, it took the Kyuubi's chakra/reiryoku and adapted its form to your inner animal." Hinata looked at him again. Naruto shrugged. "Every person has an inner animal form, it's just nearly impossible to manifest it. I learned that it takes reiryoku to do it, no chakra. But I guess this way you don't have to worry about peeping-Tom over there."

"Hey!"

"I'll teach you how to use it properly later, but since you're in that form…" Naruto bent down and got on all fours. A red mist seemed to seep from his body, and his skin turned red as short hairs began to emerge from beneath it. His skeletal structure altered as well, as he took on a canine appearance. The mist stopped forming and was blown away by a swishing red tail. Before Hinata and Ichigo stood a large fox, though half submerged in the water.

Ichigo stood dumbstruck. Hinata followed as Naruto crawled out of the water. Jumping out, both animals dripped onto the ground. Naruto shook his body to clear it of excess water. Hinata tried to do the same, but couldn't completely imitate his action. Fox-Naruto laughed gently and shook again, showing her how she was supposed to move. On the third try, Hinata was able to shake appropriately. "There you go! It takes time to get used to, I know. But you'll catch on quickly enough."

"Naruto, sealing the Kyuubi's chakra in me makes me a pseudo-Jinchūriki. But should it just leak out passively like this?" Naruto shook his head. "It was designed to allow you similar passive attributes like me; enhanced stamina, regenerative capabilities and all that, but not like this. Hmm… Lay down, I want to check something."

She did as instructed and Naruto placed his clawed hand over her belly, and watched as the seal reacted to his close proximity and appeared. Naruto then placed his hand on the seal itself and closed his eyes. For a few moments he said nothing, before he opened them again and he looked at Hinata nervously. "Uh, well, I have good news and bad news. Good news is that you won't need constant fill-ups anymore! It seems to be regenerating on its own now. Bad news is, I think using the Kyuubi' s chakra as a base, your body morphed it into its own creation."

Hinata looked at him strangely and sat up. "What do you mean?" Naruto suddenly found everything but her piercing eyes to be interesting. "Well, um… Hinata, heh, um… How do you feel about being a Jinchūriki?" he spoke out quickly, forming a massive sweat drop.

Insert awkward silence.

"I'M A WHAT?!?!"

Naruto flinched as his very sensitive fox ear suddenly exploded. "Um… yeah. The chakra is continuously regenerating. Not just that, it generating its own unique chakra. Using reiryoku just gave life to the chakra. So right now I'd say you have a baby chakra/reiryoku wolf sealed inside you… yeah."

Hinata seemed to take it in stride. "So, the baby will continue to grow until…?" Naruto shrugged again. "Dunno. Each tailed beast has a limit to the amount of power it has. Each Bijuu's chakra generates on a constant basis, making it possible to gain more tails. However, the Kyuubi, when he gained his ninth tail, unlocked a massive regenerative ability, which restores any lost chakra pretty much over the course of a few hours. Nine's the limit though."

"You never told me that Naruto." Naruto's eyes half-lidded. "Trust me, you do not want to know what I had to do to get the Kyuubi to tell me that. I still have nightmares." Naruto's fox body shivered. "Anyway, with the amount of chakra I gave you, along with your own chakra regeneration rate, I'd say, he's at about a quarter of the Ichibi's full strength. He'll sprout fast, but grow slow, I think. This is all speculation though Hinata, I'm not sure about any of this. …We… could, talk to Kyuubi again. Find out that way."

Hinata shared a look with him and the both shook their heads. She laughed gently. "I'll just find out the natural way. And don't feel bad Naruto-kun, I don't think I'll mind being a Jinchūriki. I mean, I know you feel terrible about giving me a burden like this…"

Naruto smiled despite her correct guesses. "Thanks Hinata, but just know this is _not_ what I wanted. I had no idea this would happen."

"Yeah yeah, whatever! Don't have a clue what you guys're talking about, but since you're out of the spring, I'm commandeering it." Ichigo called from across the way. Fox-Naruto sent him a glare which went unseen by the orange haired teen. Hinata directed his attention back to the here and now. "So, first of, how do I get of this form?" Naruto began chatting with her on how to do so, while Yoruichi watched from a distance.

'_Those two are a mystery to me. I had no idea what they were talking about either, which simply proves the differences between their culture and this one.'_ With that in mind she hopped down from her stand and approached the three. "Don't take too long in their Ichigo, the execution's tomorrow."

Ichigo nodded grimly. She walked over to the two animals. "So, you two probably have questions." Hinata was currently in the process of redirecting the flow of her reiryoku to deactivate her wolf-form, so Fox-Naruto nodded. "How we got here not being the least of them."

Yoruichi nodded. "Your friend, Pain I think he called himself, he brought you two here. He also gave me specific directions to keep you here until you're both rested and battle-ready."

Naruto sighed. He _would_ say that too. Well, nothing to do but get rested! A gasp from Hinata brought Naruto's gaze back to her now naked form. "I did it! Eep!" She cheered and then cried as she realized she was now nude and furless. Ichigo turned around as he heard her and about got a nose bleed from her position.

"OI! Remember what I told you about looks!"Fox-Naruto instantly shinshin-ed to the rock where she had placed her cloths as Yoruichi got directly in between Ichigo's lecherous gaze and Hinata's person. "Hey, Ichigo, if you want to see a girl naked, you could just ask me you know." She added with a wry smile, as she began to take off her clothes.

"W-w-w-wait a minute!! I never said I did!!" He said quickly as he covered his eyes. He earned a painful flick in the forehead from Yoruichi. "Then don't be staring at her."

Naruto grabbed the cloths with his muzzle and flashed back to Hinata, standing like an impenetrable wall in front of her. He dropped the clothes in front of her huddled form and she quickly thanked him and began to dress herself. When she completed she stood and pated Fox-Naruto's head, scratching behind his ears as he purred. "Rrrrr. I never understood- Ngh! -why animals like this, but now I do! Nnn… Yeah, right there! Ahhh…"

Hinata couldn't help but burst out in laughter at Naruto's antics. He laughed as well and whispered in her ear. "Your next you know." She only turned the slightest shade of pink and looked at him playfully. "Is that a threat Kitsune-kun?"

"Maybe…"

"OI!! I said stay out! No, no no no don't get in! AAAHHHH!!!!" Ichigo's screams of embarrassment brought them out of there on little world. Naruto sighed and mumbled just loud enough for her to hear. "So _annoying_…" Hinata sighed as well but prompted Naruto to get his own clothes on. He nodded and trotted back to the rock where he had rested his clothing and returned to human form and pulled his clothes on.

Hinata walked up behind Ichigo, who had become very tense and red sitting on the exact opposite of Yoruichi. "Ano, Ichigo-san right?"

Ichigo turned his head and was somewhat startled to see her there. "Um, yeah. What do-" He was promptly shut up by a palm across the face and sent skipping across the spring to crash into the rocks… directly beside a smug Yoruichi. Hinata had a tick-mark on her forehead and a very miffed expression on her face.

"If I or Naruto ever catch you looking at me inappropriately again, one or both of us will kill you. Got it?"Naruto came out from behind the rock he had been using to change and laughed at him. "Dude! You just got bitch-slapped by a _girl!!_ No offence Hinata."

"None taken Naruto-kun." She said with a deceptively innocent smile and pose. "I feel a whole lot better now though, that bath did wonders!" Naruto pulled her close to him as he sat down on a nearby boulder. Ichigo, with a very red and tender palm imprint tattooed on his face, stood up and turned around to yell at her when he was stopped by Yoruichi's muttering. Ichigo looked at her, to Naruto, Hinata, and then down.

"WAAAHH!!!" He sat down immediately, his face red and a fierce expression of frustration/embarrassment on his face. Yoruichi smirked. "I told you not to be reckless."

"Shut up…"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and glanced from him to Hinata, as if unsure of something. She cleared those thoughts up for him. "Don't worry Naruto-kun, there was nothing appealing there."

"I SAID SHUT UP!!"

Naruto covered his face with his hand as he laughed and Hinata joined him.

* * *

**A/N: YAY!!! Now think about it, the last chapter and this one combined.... Looooong aint it? Yeah, now you se why i was taking so long and why i had to break it up. Anyway, i hope you liked it! I was kind of struggleing to get it done and done well, so if it seems rushed, im sorry, but i had told you wit would be soon, and that was a onth ago, normaly id allraedy have done a chapter. However, now that "The Past" arc is done, were back to the SS arc, and things will progress smoothly. **

**Also, fan note: I set up a forum for this story, the link is at the top of my profile, so if you have nay questions or want to discuss somthing, go there. (Please do so soon, i need posts up there. its so empty...:'( heehee!)**

**TUNE IN NEXT TIME!! Ja ne!**

**AN FRIGGEN REVIEW!!! WIthout reviews, I lose motivation, causing the update rate to slow down, and i KNOW you wont like that. So please, for the love of all that is Naruto (or Bleach) in this universe, REVIEWWW!!**


	13. Chapter 13: The Present Pt 1

**A/N: HELLOOOOOOOO!!! IM BACK!!! I bet you guys are getting tired of The Past chapters, so i give you THE PRESENT!!! I hope you like it. There a about three or four fight scenes in here, as well as revealed mysteries about certain characters and their abilities.. *Ahem* ANyway, i dont have much to talk about today except that shcool started about two weeks ago for me, but you guys at public schools prolly started the beginning of this week. So i guess you could call this a "Back to School Special." YAY?! Indeed! YAY!! And so, ON TO THE STORY!!!**

**READ AND REVIEW!!!!!**

* * *

**_The next morning_**

"So then, I'm off." Renji said as he holstered his zanpakutō. Ichigo didn't turn to regard him, but answered with a simple "Yeah".

Renji turned and walked by Yoruichi, but before he passed her completely, he spoke. "Yoruichi-san. Will he really be able to make it?" She herself already knew the answer to that.

"Don't worry. I'm not worried about him."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not asking if he'll die or anything. But he's trained to that point already… Can he really achieve Bankai?"

Naruto spoke up from behind them. "It should be obvious. One continues to strive to a goal because they believe instinctively that they can achieve it. If their instinct tells them they can't, then they probably won't. Instinct tends to drive the soul."

Renji stared at him for a long moment before turning away. "I guess I can't deny your experience, especially considering that you're a shinobi village leader or whatever." Naruto smirked in response.

Renji had arrived not too long after Naruto and Hinata awoke and Ichigo had restarted his Bankai training. Renji at least had a more proper air about him, though he was similar to Ichigo in every way.

Naruto had decided to leave with Ichigo when his training was over. After talking with Yoruichi, he had begun to understand the situation the Ryoka were in, and of the execution of Kuchiki Rukia, who was imprisoned in the Shine of Penitence and due to be executed today. Hinata of course wouldn't be anywhere but beside Naruto, so she agreed to the same thing. Now they just had to wait and hope that Ichigo would be able to finish the training in time, or at all.

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Iba slid to a stop in front of his captain's doors. "Komamura-taicho, my deepest apologies! I was working with the men to repair the damage done the other night! I have no excuse for my forgetfulness!"

"It's alright, Iba." Komamura sheathed his sword and looked at him with his golden eyes. Iba looked up at his un-helmeted captain. "I'm ready."

"Uh, hai."

Komamura spoke softly, despite his gruff appearance. "You don't need to make up excuses to give me more time, Tetsuzaemon."

Iba attempted to escape the truth his captain had so easily seen, but failed. "I know you were worried about me. You thought that I was unsure about the legitimacy of this execution. Thus, in order to give me enough time to think about it, you came here late purposefully."

Iba was silent for a few moments before he bowed in apology. "Hai… It is as you said…"

"Don't worry, I have no doubts. My loyalty lies only in my debt to Genryūsai-sama. He took me in when I was alone, because people pushed me away due to my looks. I shall repay this debt even if it means I will be shattered to pieces. I shall have no doubts. If he says 'yes', then my answer will be the same."

Komamura looked from Iba over to where his helmet rested. He reached out to it, but hesitated, and retracted his hand. Iba looked at him with surprise. "Komamura-taicho! Aren't you going to where your helmet?"

Komamura looked at his hand for a minute before shaking his head. "No. I'm going outside as only what I am. If they cannot accept me, then so be it." His mind drifted back to the other night when Kisame had sat down with him on the battlefield and counseled him on dealing with xenophobics.

(Xenophobic: an intense fear or dislike of foreign people, their customs and culture, or foreign things [also can apply to species])

Iba merely nodded and Komamura looked past him. "And what do you think of this, Tosen?"

Tossen appeared in the doorway with Hisagi Shuuhei following close behind. "I will follow my own way. The road I walk is the road of least bloodshed. I believe that I walk the same path as you, Komamura."

Komamura nodded and walked out the door, Iba and the Ninth division's captain and vice-captain following. From across the way came an unheard chuckle. Kisame sat on top of the tiled roof with his katana by his side. His human form was ruggedly handsome, despite his usually rather unappealing visage as a shark-man. Thanks to Orochimaru, certain members of shinobi had learned to seal certain qualities of themselves or abilities within standard katana, making them analogs to the Shinigami Zanpakutō.

On his head was his straw hat that shadowed his face and neck. "Heh. You're making a good start. The next time we face off, I want to be able to face you with no inhibitions or restrictions. Heheh, soon; _very_ soon."

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An empty courtyard. A steaming pink haired midget. A group of misfits. What do all of these factors have in common? The group of misfits followed the now steaming pink haired midget into an empty courtyard. "Um, well… Trying to find one's way around here really takes a lot of luck…" Uryū commented carefully.

"Yes! It's quite normal to run into dead ends every 10 to 20 meters!" Orihime quickly agreed. "See? I told you this would happen! This is why I hate letting Yachiru direct us." Ikkaku was instantly jumped upon by the little pink devil, his head turning into a shiny chew toy.

"AH! Stop! That's disgusting! Hey-WAHHHHH!!!"

Suigetsu plopped down into the ground and sighed. "You think you hate it? Try lugging this damn thing around while aimlessly trying to find your way around a city, then come talk to me. Karin would do better with directions than anyone here anyway, but noooo, we just had to let pinky lead the way." Karin hmph-ed and crossed her arms in frustration.

Zabuza walked up to his captain along with Yumichika. "Taicho…"

"Yeah. You're shameless to sneak around like that boys! Get the hell out here!! Cowardly hiding your reiatsu and stalking others isn't something that captains should do!!"

"You speak with authority. Do you know what a foolish act you are committing?"

Four figures instantly appeared on the ridge of the roof farthest from them. Iba, Shuuhei, Tōsen and Komamura stood before the group, completely blocking the path. Each member of the group had a similar reaction, surprise being the most evident, fear being present in the weaker of them, being Karin, Aramaki, and Yumichika. Zabuza's eyes widened and Suigetsu's eyebrows lifted.

Tōsen appeared to be looking down on them, despite his blindness. "Where are you taking the Ryoka to? Zaraki, have you lost your pride and righteousness when you lost that fight?" Aramaki instantly began panicking, to which Yumichika reassured him, claiming they had the upper hand due to numbers. Both of them were soundly silenced by Zaraki himself.

"Stop whining! Who said you were going to fight?" A grin spread itself across his face as he flexed his fingers. "Four versus one… That's not even enough to test my sword with!"

The group of four jumped down from the walls and landed not too far away from the rebels. "Four versus one you say? In other words, you want to fight all four of us alone?" Zaraki's grin was half way to his ears as Komamura simplified (or complicated, depending on how you look at it) the matter. The giant continued. "I know about your strength, however… You think too highly of yourself, Zaraki Kenpachi!"

Kenpachi gripped his hilt and drew his sword. "Blah blah blah! You're noisy! Just come on and fight already!" He pointed his sword at the offending group. "It would be better if you all attacked at once; if you four surround and attack me at once, maybe one of you could actually wound me."

Aramaki stuttered slightly as he addressed his captain. "Ah, uh, Z-Zaraki-taicho, what should we do?"

"You're in the way. Move!" Aramaki face faulted and a dark cloud descended over his prostrate form. Yachiru was quick to comment on his failure. "That was bad mustache-guy. When Ken-chan is this excited, you shouldn't disturb him." She looked at the back of her father figure for a moment, looking very thoughtful, despite her childish appearance, and attitude.

Then it died.

"Ken-chan!! We'll go and look for Ichii! Catch up with us soon Ken-chan!" Ken-chan replied without even turning. "Yah, be right there." Yachiru continued her hyperactive rant. "Ok! Let's go! Big-booby, big bear, wrestler-guy, pencil guy, moustache guy! Let's goooo--!!" She yelled as she grabbed Orihime's arm and dragged her down the road.

"A-ouch! Yachiru-chan! You're going to break my arm!"

"W-wait for me!"

Tōsen walked forward. "…'Be right there', you said. Are you taunting us? Or do you really think that this is possible? Either way, you didn't merely lose your pride; you also seem to have lost your sanity, Zaraki."

"Hah! 'Sanity?' What would I do with a useless thing like that?!" Both vice-captains walked forward, reaching for the hilts of their blades.

"Taicho, this here…"

"Please let us go first." Iba and Hisagi said, respectively. Zaraki's smile nearly entirely disappeared as he glared at them. "Idiots… I told you to come at me all at once. I knew it; you do look down on me."

"In that case for our side-"

"-We have no choice but to go up first!" Yumichika started and Ikkaku finished as they both appeared in front of their captain.

"Such weaklings shouldn't be cut down by the likes of your sword, taicho." Zabuza said as he approached from the right side of the squared off groups, his left hand's thumb slightly pushing his sword out of its hilt, exposing a small portion of the blade.

"Heh, I couldn't care less about useless formalities like that! I only care about killing." Suigetsu said as he approached from the opposite side of his mentor. In his right hand he twirled the unscrewed handle to his zanbato.

Zaraki blinked as he looked from his fifth seat, fourth seat, third seat, and delinquent and sighed. "You guys were supposed to leave with the others. Huh?" He turned to see the red headed girl- Karin wasn't it? – standing behind and slightly to the side of him. "Ok, what's goin' on here?"

As if in response to his question, sort of, Ikkaku pointed and yelled at the opposing team. "Oi! Oi! Oi! Listen up! You two are just vice-captains! Don't think that our captain even want's to bother fighting you! The four of us are more than enough to deal with you! Right, taicho?"

"Tch, so you want to fight too? Fine, you can have them, but not here. If you get in my way I'll cut you down first."

"Roger!"

"Afirmative!"

"As ordered."

"Hell yeah."

Iba sighed. "Geez… don't want to 'bother', 'more than enough to deal with you'… It's been a while since we last saw each other; your loud, insulting mouth certainly has gotten sharper, Ikkaku."

"Oh? Look who's talkin'. The guy who left our division because he couldn't become a vice-captain. Being scolded by you is really unjust, Iba!"

"…Ikkaku!-"

"-Let's talk later, we need to get out of here first. I don't want to chopped up by my captain."

Yumichika nodded his agreement. "I concur. Mind if we move away?"

Hisagi glared at him. "Whatever you want. It makes no difference." The four opponents sped away to different battlegrounds. Suigetsu smirked. "So, sensei, you go after a group, I'll take the other one. But choose quickly, I want to fight them first." Zabuza nodded. "Now this brings back memories." He shunpo-ed away and Suigetsu glanced over at Karin. "Karin, stay here with him. Even without pinky leading him, I'm going to guess his sense of direction is terrible. When he finishes up with these idiots, you lead him to where he needs to go; I'll meet up with you shortly."

Karin pushed up her glasses and mumbled. "Like I need you to tell me that." Suigetsu smirked again and shunshin-ed off in the opposite direction Zabuza had gone.

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Iba and Ikkaku stopped in clearing of a forest. It was open for the most part, but you could still maneuver, and there was enough shade to keep off the heat. "Alright, I'm tired of looking at your incessant smile, so let just get too it already."

Ikkaku grinned even wider and drew his sword. "Oi oi! That's my line!"

Iba drew his zanpakutō and activated his Shikai quickly. Ikkaku placed the hilt of his own zanpakutō together with the opening of its sheath. "**Grow**, **Houzukimaru-**" The blade and its scabbard began to glow with golden reiryoku. It was stopped when a hand reached out and grabbed where the two items connected, halting its transformation. Ikkaku and Iba both looked at the newcomer with surprise.

"Heheh, sorry, but I think I'll take this one." Suigetsu stated as he stood facing Iba, but with his hand behind him holding Ikkaku's zanpakutō. Ikkaku chuckled.

"Alright. Normaly I'd just beat you up until you got out of the way, but since you are Zabuza-san's apprentice, I kinda want to see how you fight."

"Heh, thanks for understandin'." Iba groaned, as Suigetsu let go of Ikkaku's weapon. "Besides, I've already taken out the Seventh division's fourth seat. I want to see the difference in power between fourth seat, and vice-captain." Iba straightened at that.

"You were the one who killed Jirōbō?!" Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah I am. Looks my little art-piece was filed under the 'unsolved cases', huh?" Iba grit his teeth.

Ikkaku raised an eyebrow. "You mean to killed their fourth seat and didn't get found out? That's some nice work there-"

"NO!" Iba shouted out. Ikkaku stopped grinning, but his eyebrow stayed raised as he redirected his gaze to his fellow Shinigami.

Iba continued. "It's not something to be proud of, or even congratulated! It wasn't a mere defeat… It was a slaughter!" Ikkaku kept his gaze, so Iba went on. "When he didn't return from his patrol, we got worried and sent a team out to look for him. When they found him, they immediately sent word back. I was nearby and heard about it, so I left to check it out. When I got there, the squad that had found him had moved away from the body. They were only new recruits. They weren't ready to face what had been done to him!"

"What… _did_ happen to him?" Ikkaku asked cautiously.

Iba's grip tightened on the hilt of his scimitar-like sword. "When I walked over to the body… it was only then I noticed the insane amount of blood on the ground. The body had been totally destroyed. His legs and arms had been severed completely, as well as his head which had been cut in half after being removed. And his zanpakutō, its hilt had been shattered. His gut had been cut open and half of his internal organs had spilled out. His spine had also been severed. And lastly, we hadn't noticed, but if you looked from the air, his blood had been used to make four curved lines in the tile, two above and two below. Below the body had been written, in his blood, _'Courtesy of the Re-born Demon of the Bloody Mist'_. It wasn't until after the blood was cleaned up did we realize that both the marks and the message had been cut into the ground before-hand, and the blood had filled it up."

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed, but his smirk remained. Ikkaku looked slightly horrified as he simply stared at nothing, trying to imagine the scene. "We guessed that since the marks, which were each the same, had something to do with a sort of ritual that resulted in his death, but we were never sure."

"Heh, glad to see that my art was appreciated." Suigetsu said as he twirled the handle to his zanbato in his hand. "So? We gonna do this or just chat?" Iba got into a battle ready stance. "I will avenge my comrade's death!"

Suigetsu closed his eyes and grinned, flashing his razor sharp teeth. He flipped his hand over his shoulder and screwed the handle into his sword. "Is that so?"

Iba lunged at him. Suigetsu sidestepped and unhooked the sword from behind him, raising it up over his head with a single hand. Ikkaku blanched. All zanpakutō were made from a Shinigami's reiryoku, but they have their own reiryoku too. But since they are merely manifestations of the Shinigami's soul, they are nearly weightless, despite their size or composition. But this sword, if you can even call it that, was not a zanpakutō.

It was pure metal, being lifted effortlessly by a mere teenager. The sword was as tall as he was! That such an item could be lifted was understandable. Ikkaku himself would have trouble lifting it, but he could still do it. But that it could also be battle-wieldy was mindboggling.

Suigetsu brought it down, not adding any pressure but simply let the weight carry it. Iba brought his own up and blocked it. The zanbato clashed with the zanpakutō, sending sparks flying. Iba growled as he pushed the blade up and tried to swing at the violet-eyed being before him, only for said being to bring the blade back to meet the exposed flesh of his neck. Iba ducked, and in doing so messed up in his own attack, sending it stabbing haphazardly at the boy.

While Iba was on the ground, Suigetsu brought the blade up to crash down onto him. Iba rolled and leapt away from him. _'It's unreal! The power to push back a vice-captain with only one arm! And the way he casually attacked me while my own sword was about to cut his chest… it's like he doesn't even care if he gets hurt!'_

"Done already?" Iba was shaken from his thoughts. "This is kind of disappointing. Your fourth seat at least was able to land a hit on me. You need to hit me twice to prove your stronger." Suigetsu said while holding two fingers up. He winked at his Shinigami opponent as he said this.

Iba began to sweat nervously as he realized how much power this boy had behind him. _'No wonder Jirōbō was beaten.'_ He readied himself again.

"If you're not going to attack, then I'll just kill you." Suigetsu charged and swung horizontally, forcing Iba to leap into the air. Suigetsu then spun and hurled his sword at the air-born Shinigami. _'Shit! I can't dodge-!'_ He brought his zanpakutō in front of him and stopped the blinding rotation of the zanbato at the cost of his stability. He was thrown back farther into the air from the force of impact. Suddenly, the zanbato found an arm attached to it, with Suigetsu grinning madly behind it.

He laughed as he forced his opponent down with and over head chop with both hands. Iba grunted in pain as he hit the ground with his sword blocking Suigetsu's strike.

"Heheh! End of the line!!!" Suigetsu stood over Iba who lay in a crater formed from his impact. Suigetsu kicked his sword up and off of Iba's, whose owner suddenly realized that his sword had nearly been cut in half. Suigetsu brought the blade around and over his shoulder.

He failed to notice his opponent's palm facing his chest. "**Hado no. 31, Shakkahō!**" An explosion engulfed the two, and an object flew through one side of the smoke cloud. Iba tumbled to the ground, gripping his zanpakutō. He was slightly burned but he had managed to hit the kid in the chest with it. Though he doubted it killed him, since he had skipped the incantation, he was certain he had at least done some damage.

Another ball of dust flew from the other side of the cloud, and while neither could see each other, Ikkaku had a good look at both of them. Ibe looked a bit singed, but not too bad. The dust around Suigetsu had yet to settle, but it cleared at the same time as the main cloud, so both Shinigami saw him at the same time. Ikkaku's eyes widened as Iba gasped and dropped his mouth. Suigetsu had lost his entire left side from the hip up, and even a third of his face had been blown away, but even so, that wasn't what surprised them.

Not a drop of blood was seen on him.

Instead, what seemed to be water spilled out of him, only to be sucked into his legs as his body reformed. Suigetsu was still smiling as his face bulged and flattened, revealing a perfectly handsome (in its own way) face. "Oi, I thought we were just going to use our swords. If you're going to play like that, then I'll just have to do the same." Iba was still gasping but regained his voice.

"W-what are you?! No one could have survived from those wounds!"

"That's where your wrong my arrogant friend. To be honest I wasn't expecting that attack. I only noticed it after it began to glow, but by then I couldn't do anything to stop it. So I thought I'd put on a show. Heheh. Lately, I've been able to harden my skin by condensing the water my body is made of into denser particles. But this time I thought _'what the hell? I might as well freak you out.'_ Did a pretty good job, didn't I?" Iba closed his mouth and growled.

"But since you're going to use your weird spells, I'm going to have to level the playing field aren't I?" He spread his legs and flipped his zanbato backwards and held it behind his back, blade out. He then brought his newly-reformed left hand up to his face and flipped his index and middle finger up. "**Ninpou:** **Kirigakure no Jutsu!**" Iba's eyes narrowed as he heard the name, but was unprepared for a thin fog to appear on the battlefield.

It was cold, chilling. It was damp, and dew was already beginning to form on the grass and nearby trees, slicking the ground. Iba's eyes widened as he realized the fog was getting so thick he could no longer see his opponent. Ikkaku likewise shivered as the cold mist blocked his vision.

_'Ok Iba, stay calm. As long as I can't see him, he can't see me either. And since I can't see, I can just search for his reiatsu, which will increase when he's about to attack.'_ A sharp laugh sounded throughout the mist a moment before a gash opened up on his shoulder. "Wha-?!" another slash opened n his left arm. _'I can't sense him!'_ His eyes widened as he saw a massive shadow looming ahead of him, and he raised his zanpakutō to block the incoming crushing blow as it appeared out of the mist.

Iba grabbed onto the hole at the tip of the opposing blade and muttered under his breath, "**Hado no. 11, Tsuzuri Raiden!**" A crackle of electricity shot from his hand and conducted through the zanbato, traveling back to its holder. A sharp yelp sounded out and Iba grinned. "Gotcha!"

The sword retracted from his own and he leapt back. "_Black crosses pass through the gate, a leaf dances in the orchard, spinning in a cage, dark skies illuminate the earth. _**Hado no. 58, Tenran!!**" A gale ripped through the area, scattering the mist that had hung so heavily around them. As it blew away, Iba's smirk dissolved when he saw, standing there the same boy as before, but with one major difference. Somehow, there was many of him. Clones of some kind. "Nice move. You blew all my mist away, but now what are you going to do?" Iba looked among them, trying to identify the real one.

Without warning they all leapt forward, bringing their weapons to bear.

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Hisagi and Zabuza jumped away from each other. Hisagi appraised his opponent. His outfit was similar to his own, with the exception of the fingerless gloves and the mask, as well as the odd headband he wore. "You're not bad, for a fourth seat."

Zabuza held his blade idly at his side. "Thanks for the compliment. Coming from a vice-captain, it means a lot." Hisagi nodded. Yumichika was thankful that his superior had followed him. This way he wouldn't have to reveal **Ruri'iro Kujaku**, as he was sure he would have had to if he had to fight the vice-captain alone.

Neither side was breathing heavily at all. In fact, neither was even breathing really. Hisagi and Zabuza both seemed to simply be testing each other's skills. Both knew it too, as Hisagi brought his blade up. "Don't hold back. If you have any hope of surviving, use everything you've got."

Zabuza readied himself as he replied. "Sorry, but there are limits to what I'll do. After all, I'm fairly new here, so I can't completely trust everyone." Yumichika's eyes widened at that, as did Hisagi's, slightly.

_'Is he saying he won't reveal his abilities because he doesn't trust me?'_ Yumichika thought. _'How similar he is to Ikkaku and I…?'_ He smirked. "Zabuza-san. If there is anyone you can trust with your secrets… you needn't worry about me."

Zabuza's eyes slid sideways to glance at him, before returning to his opponent. "Good to know." Yumichika frowned slightly. _'Does he not believe me?'_ Zabuza and Hisagi leapt at each other again.

When their blades met, and explosion of reiryoku exuded from Zabuza's side. Hisagi's eyes shot wide open. "What?!" Unable to compensate, he was pushed back into the wall nearby. Zabuza landed gracefully, as Yumichika's eyes widened as well. _'This power…'_

"…That's, unh! Not a fourth seat's power, Momoche Zabuza." Hisagi voiced as he got up from the rubble. Zabuza simply held his blade out horizontally at his enemy. He shunpo-ed in front of Hisagi, spinning and swinging his zanpakutō at the same time. Hisagi head to lead up to dodge a sweeping kick, and bring up his own zanpakutō to block the strike. Being in the air at the same time as the strike shoved him back into the rubble he had just gotten out of.

_'Power! It's raw power!'_ Hisagi couldn't help but think as the dust roared up around him. As he got up, he was nursing some pretty bad cuts on his face and left arm. "Where… where'd a fourth seat get such power?" Zabuza looked him square in the eyes before looking away and to the west.

"It's just, my student isn't going to view me as his master if I end up looking weak. And so far, he's showing me up pretty bad." He said as he pointed is sword in the direction he was looking. Hisagi looked in the same direction in time to see smoke rising from a nearby forest. It wasn't until he peered closer did he see that it was actually a mist, rising from the tree tops. As he continued to watch, an explosion of dirt rose up from the green canopy and he felt his comrade's reiatsu flicker down to a dim glow. His eyes widened as he turned back to Zabuza.

"So, your student beat a vice-captain. No wonder you have such power. All this time, you've been holding back." Zabuza turned to him. "Let's continue."

Hisagi made a sound in the back of his throat as they both vanished only to clash again. They separated, Hisagi beginning to adapt to the power his opponent was throwing at him. After seven minutes of sword bashing, Zabuza took on a contemplative face. Hisagi wondered what he could be thinking, but stayed silent. Zabuza turned back to his fellow seated officer. "You said I could trust you, can I hold you to that?"

Yumichika nodded, curious as to what he was going to do. Zabuza responded by throwing his katana into the air. He brought his hands together in a strange position that neither Yumichika or Hisagi had seen before. "I was once called the Demon of the Bloody Mist. I'll honor you by showing why." The katana came down and impaled itself into the ground.

"**Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu.**" The steam began spewing from where the sword had fallen. Zabuza gripped it and pulled it out, and as if pulling out a cork, mist exploded out from the small hole, blanketing the battle field to a near impossible invisibility level. Hisagi held himself ready, widening his stance to incorporate a more omni-directional defense. _'That's not a Kido! What the hell is going on here?!' _He looked around trying to find his enemy

_'The mist keeps the opponent's visibility low. The question is whether it degrades his own sight as well. The only way I can fight is by searching for his reiatsu.'_ He tried doing so and found that he couldn't sense anything inside or outside the mist. _'The mist also blocks reiatsu emissions! The only option now is to wait for him att-'_ A quiet whooshing sound accompanied Zabuza's sword nearly gutting Hisagi.

Hisagi instantly retaliated, hacking at the silhouette of his opponent. Zabuza defended easily enough, and Hisagi noticed that the mist thinned well enough for him to see at least ten feet around him. Zabuza leapt back into the mist and it thickened again, making it impossible to see.

_'The mist thinned at some point during his assault. Perhaps he can't see either. In that case, my only chance is to wait for his attacks when the mist thins enough for him to see.' _He waited there in silence. It wasn't long before he felt a cold sensation on the back of his neck. He instantly dropped his head down to avoid getting beheaded from behind. In one of those slow-mo moments, he turned his head to the side at the same time as he began to perform a roll.

What he saw was Zabuza touching down from where he had leapt, but what he noticed was that Zabuza's eyes were closed. Then they opened, and Zabuza redirected his attack. Hisagi barely parried in time, being brought to his knees by and overhead chop. "A proper strategy. Attacking as I do while the mist is thinning. But you realize if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead now."

"What gives you that idea?" Zabuza laughed. "I'm a master of the silent-kill; a method of killing that's completely soundless, to both the attacker and the prey. It's a technique that uses sound alone to kill your opponents. In this mist, I hold the high ground. Nothing you do can save you now." He brought his left hand up to his face and pointed his first two fingers up. "**Suiton: Mizu-bunshin no Jutsu.**"

Instanty, nearly a dozen clones of Zabuza appeared in the mist. Hisagi's eyes widened and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. "So this, is your Zanpakutō, Momochi Zabuza?"

Zabuza laughed again. "No, these are merely the fruits of my being a shinobi warrior. You don't deserve to see my Zanpakutō." The copies attacked, forcing Hisagi to retreat before the onslaught of water-clones. Everyone he cut down merely splashed into harmless water, but in the moisture-dense mist, they formed out of thin air, from anywhere. Hisagi was losing badly. Kido would only get him so far, and his Zanjutsu was beginning to fail him. He closed his eyes and sighed in defeat.

The nearby clones noticed his hesitation and charged, leaping into the air around him, intent on cutting him in half from every angle. That is, until two solemn words echoes in the mist.

"**Reap, Kazeshini.**"

Zabuza had to shield his face from the blast of reiatsu that impacted him from his spot in the back of the group. When he opened them again he saw a spinning saw blade rip through his clones, and angle toward him. Leaping away, he was met instantly by Hisagi right behind him. "Ngh-!!" He spun to deflect the attack, only to realize the real one coming from behind. _'He has dual Zanpakutō!' _

The blades met flesh, and blood dripped to the ground. Zabuza stood away from Hisagi, who had a straight, serious face on as he lazily twirled his Zanpakutō in both hands. Zabuza held his right arm, where a deep cut had appeared on his bicep. _'If I hadn't ducked at the last second, he'd have taken an arm.'_

"Scared?" Hisagi questioned his foe. Zabuza hadn't even realized he had been staring at the spinning blades for near a minute, with sweat trickling down his face. "Shinobi are trained to withstand fear. Fear makes you hesitate. In the world of shinobi, the price for hesitation, is death."

"I see. I had thought you'd be afraid the moment we started fighting, but it appears, only now do you at least visibly show it." Zabuza closed his eyes and looked down. "True, I was surprised by it; your drastic change in fighting styles threw me off. I'll also admit that I can't defeat you at my current level." Hisagi's face betrayed no emotion, or reaction.

Zabuza continued. "So it looks like I'll have to step it up. I was hesitant to do this though, especially with another member of my division nearby. But it looks like I don't have any other choice." He looked back toward his junior. "Don't, forget, I'm entrusting you with this secret."

Yumichika nodded, and the mist thickened again. Hisagi, gripped both handles to his dual, double-scythe blades. "What exactly do you plan to do?" he called out to the white-out before him. The answer came back as a low growl.

"**Cut the world down…**"

Hisagi's eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen. He brought his arms up, ready to defend.

"**…Oukiri.**" Cyan reiatsu emanated outward from Zabuza's location. In an instant, all the mist seemed to be sucked away. Hisagi soon saw the reason why. All the mist was being sucked into the giant cleaver of a sword, held aloft by the left hand of a now mask-less Zabuza. On his right arm, around the wound, were white bandages, tautly bound to keep the blood staunched. The blade was over five and a half feet high, with a two and a half foot handle. The tip of the blade was about two feet wide, with a small hole toward the top, and crescent shaped cut out toward the base of the blade (Normal Kubikiri Houchou blade).

Hisagi then noticed that all the mist was being sucked into what appeared to be a black hole that was forming in the cut out of the circle at the top of the blade. "So this must be your Zanpakutō… right?"

"Yeah, this is my Zanpakutō, Oukiri. I don't like using it though. It always gets confused about who the enemy is. But I guess that's slightly my fault. Sometimes I can't help…"

Yumichika's eyes widened as Zabuza grinned manically, showing sharp jagged teeth, not unlike Suigetsu's, whom he had seen earlier.

"…but kill _everyone!_" The sphere of water condensing in the blade's hole began to make a high pitched screech, causing both Yumichika and Hisagi's ears to throb in pain. The water began rotating, spinning at such a fast pace as to wear any surface it came in contact with down to nothing, like a sandblaster to old paint.

Hisagi threw Kazeshini toward Zabuza, who brought his sword down to meet the hacking weapon. Both of them met with a screeching unlike any other, like tortured metal being sawed by a dull hacksaw. Zabuza's pupils shrank to an unimaginable level, and his sharpened grin soundly unnerved both friend and foe. Eventually, the pain of the ear-splitting scream was too much for Hisagi to bear and he leapt back to gain his bearings. He shook his head as he tried to clear away the splitting headache he was having.

"What was that… just now?" he asked in bewilderment. Zabuza simply answered by swinging his sword, despite being twenty meters away. The ball of condensed, rotating water sped up and a large wave of water rose up from the ground, erupting like a volcano, and crashing down toward Hisagi.

He barely had time to dodge as the water shifted and reached out like a hand to grab him. He swung at the tendrils of liquid, cutting them off before they could reach him, and leaping onto a nearby roof to escape the roaring torrent of water. He realized his mistake as the walls around him began crumbling from the pressure of the raging flood.

The water split like the Red Sea and Zabuza walked calmly in between, serenity masking his obvious desire to destroy. "My Zanpakutō is different from others. Most specialize in only certain classes, such as a singular attack, or the shape of the blade, and others even augmenting their natural Shinigami powers. Mine focuses solely on absolutely destroying anything that get's in its way, no matter what! To accomplish that end, it had the most destructive power of any Shikai in Soul Society! It focuses only on crushing its opponents into the bottomless abyss."

Zabuza swung again as the water surged and rose above the modest walls. Hisagi leapt up and threw Kazeshini into the blue mass cutting it in two. He was startled however when the blade stopped moving forward and stayed still, cutting the water that seemed to endlessly pour forth from Oukiri. Hisagi's eyes furrowed in concentration. _'The water is too dense to cut through it in a head on attack.'_

Water blasted forward again, disrupting Kazeshini's rotation and sending it crashing back toward Hisagi. The vice-captain jumped again, only to have to throw Kazeshini's other end to cut through a rising tidal wave. What surprised him was the ease at which the wave was cut. That cut into the wave revealed a readied Zabuza, Oukiri held aloft, ready to cut down any enemy foolish enough to stand before it. What surprised Hisagi was not the stance or even Zabuza himself. What surprised him was the amount of water that was gushing out of both ends of the hole in the tip of the sword.

_'No, it's not the density, there's just so much of it that Kazeshini can't cut through it all!'_ Zabuza opened his eyes from where he stood and gazed at Hisagi as he stood on the air in front of him. "You've forced me to release Oukiri, it's fitting that you stay alive long enough to see the most horrific, and beautiful aspect of her; that which makes me fearful to use her."

Hisagi continued to stare at him prompting him to continue. "I normally like to finish off my opponents as fast and silently as possible. Oukiri is different. She likes to go to extreme lengths to crush her enemy with all her power in a single attack. But the scary thing is, how far she'll go to crush even an ant." The water from the sword erupted outward, crushing anything in a horizontal arc.

The ground around and below them were quickly submerged by the roaring waves. Even as the tsunamis overcame the walls of the plaza and the surrounding complexes, Hisagi, as well as Yumichika who had floated into the air to avoid his senior's attacks, both stared in shock as a column of water shot into the sky.

Gradually the water began to solidify, molding and reforming onto a very distinctive shape. A light green sheen reflected the piercing sun outward, and pale yellow eyes illuminated the area. Its slender proportions emanated a definite femininity, even as it slid through the air and downward. A liquid dragon curled and coiled about Zabuza as he gazed at the blade he held aloft, a proud smirk adorned on his face. "And that's why she's beautiful."

Zabuza rotated the blade, making the edge face Hisagi, and without hesitation, swung down. In a moment of desperation, Hisagi throw both of Kazeshini's blade, intent on cutting straight through the soaring dragon, even as it opened its maw to engulf him. Both attacks impacted and the dragon fell apart, splashing waves against the wall. It was not expected that the water then launched forward again and crashed into Hisagi.

"GRAHH!!" Even as the liquid teeth pierced his flesh, he looked down and saw those pale yellow eyes glaring murderously at him. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if it actually happened, but he could have sworn that he saw the eyes glow even brighter and narrow at him. He didn't have much time to think about it as the attack, and Hisagi, impacted wall after countless wall as they barreled, quite literally, _through_ Seireitei. Zabuza watched as the attack receded from him, seeing the eventual explosion as they attack finally impacted something harder than itself.

He smiled as he looked at Oukiri, _his_ blade. He smiled endearingly at it, before it shined blue and liquefied, splashing to the ground and revealing its sealed form. He slid his fingers across the blade, before sheathing it. The water around him began to drain as it emptied into the mass of Seireitei. Yumichika dared to venture down to his fellow division member. He carefully approached Zabuza, with his mouth agape. "Y-your Zanpakutō-!"

"-is a Kido type. I know. Why do you think I was reluctant to use her?" Yumichika shook his head to clear his thoughts, and smiled. "Well, I was just surprised at your power. You could easily be vice-captain level, but you stay fourth seat of our division. It's just… surprising." Zabuza looked thoughtful for a moment before chuckling.

"Well, I'm fairly young, as far as time in Soul Society. If I became a vice-captain too quickly, the captains would understand how powerful others of my world could be, and exploit them. So to protect them, I decided not to reveal too much of my powers to anyone without killing them. But with our world already being invaded, I suppose it's pointless to hide it anymore."

Yumichika nodded in understanding, before looking at the chaos that was caused by Oukiri's torrential attacks. "That really is beautiful," He breathed.

* * *

The ropes that supported the Soukyoku unraveled and shot away, impaling themselves into the hard bedrock below the hill. Rukia looked up at the large spear, unfazed, unemotional. _'After being stirred up by Ichimaru, my heart is again at peace. Is it because of the so-taicho's agreement to my request? Or maybe it's because while my mind was in chaos trying to think of a way to stay alive, Onii-sama didn't even look this way and acted to calm…'_ She looked his way, only to see his eyes closed, but whether in disgust, or respect for her funeral, she could not tell.

"Thank you very much, Onii-sama…" He remained the same, not even bothering to respond. She turned her head back down, to see three blocks appear out for the ground below her. The rose upward, and as her bonds disintegrated, they sealed her arms and legs into position, like a crucifix. The three boxes, and their charge, rose up to the top of the execution stands.

Even as they finished their assent, the Soukyoku erupted in flame, and it rose up as well, as fire burned from it in a holy awe. The spear began to rotate vertically, aiming right at Rukia's chest. The burning heat around it took form as those on the ground watched in awe.

Rukia only stared on as a massive phoenix spread its wings about the stands, and its burning red eyes staring directly at her. She did not hear the so-taicho's explanation as she simply gazed on at the burning monstrosity. _'I'm not scared. I'm content with my life; Meeting Renji and the others, adopted by Onii-sama, Kaien-dono's guidance… Then, Ichigo's attempted rescue… No, no pain, no sadness, no regrets. There is nothing for my heart to linger to in this world.'_

She said a silent thank you for the images of friends and acquaintances that flashed through her mind. First Renji, then her captain, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, and her brother. But last of all, Ichigo appeared in her mind, smiling at her, calling out her name. "Thank you…"

The Phoenix roared forward.

"…and goodbye."

There was a flash of fire, and a roar of the great bird quieted. Flames engulfed the entire area, obstructing nearly everyone's view of the stands. Slowly, Rukia opened her eyes, not feeling that hot pain she had expected. A cape flapped in the wind and Rukia's eyes could not move from their place, transfixed with surprise and disbelief. Before her stood Ichigo, holding his Zanpakutō behind him, and with one hand staving off the Soukyoku's attack.

"Yo."

She dared not speak the name, but her body betrayed her and spoke it anyway. "I…Ichi… go…!"

Ichigo repeated his great intro line to her, only to find himself being scolded. "BAKA!! WHY DO YOU KEEP COMING BACK?!?"

"Wh-what??!!" Ichigo said, losing his cool composure to a comically surprised face.

"You already know! You can't win against my brother. YOU'LL BE KILLED!!! I've made my decision! I don't need your help!! GO HOME!!!"

Byakuya stared on in anger. The great fowl reared back, surprising Ichigo, who turned to face the burning Zanpakutō. "Giving yourself some space to attack? All right then, bring it on."

Rukia yelled at him in dismay. "S-Stop, Ichigo! That's enough; you won't be able to stop it a second time! YOU'LL BE TORN TO SHREDS!! ICHIGO!!!!"

What transpired next shocked all around, for it was unfathomable that such could occur. The Soukyoku recoiled as a fire erupted from his right wing. Flames. Burning, consuming flames.

Black flames.

All present found their eyes widening as the flames spread, and erupted also on the great bird's second wing. Soifon was the first to voice her confusion. "Wh-what is that?!? Is that the Soukyoku?!"

Unohana replied to her, also in fascination. "No. It isn't. In all my days as a Shinigami, never once has the Soukyoku used an ability like that. And even so, those flames… There's so much darkness in them…"

Yamamoto's eyes also widened. _'Flames consuming flames… Such an ability…!!'_ It was then Isane, the vice-captain of the Fourth division, spotted a dark shape atop the Soukyoku stands. Two of them actually, one on each end of the stand itself. "L-look! Up on the stands!!" Everyone present looked, including Ichigo, as well as Rukia, who craned her neck to see.

On one stand was a black haired man, donned in a black cloak with red clouds emblazoned there-on. On the other was an equally dark-haired man, with a high collared, white shirt. He wore shin high sandals and black pants. On his waist he wore a purple rope-like belt that fastened his sword to his hip. Both of them were similar in appearances, physically, and both had blazing crimson eyes.

The bird reeled back and let out an ear splitting screech before succumbing to the flames as its own were consumed. The cry faded as the flames disappeared, both black and orange. The spear of the Soukyoku levitated in the air for a moment before disintegrating into a fine dust that vanished on the wind.

Omaeda's eyes twitched and his sweat poured from his body in waves. "W-Who-?!!"

"-Who are they?!!" Soifon finished. Byakuya identified Itachi straight away, and Sasuke only a moment later. His eyes narrowed in rage.

Both brothers closed their eyes and reopened them a moment later to reveal pitch black, cinder eyes. Ichigo smirked. "Dunno what's going on, but thanks for the help." He back-flipped onto the middle of the horizontal pole, holding Zangetsu at the ready.

Rukia Screamed at him. "Wh…What are you trying to do Ichigo?!"

He grabbed Zangetsu by the hilt-wrap and began swinging it like a slingshot. "Isn't it obvious?" She looked at him apprehensively.

"I'm going to…" He grabbed Zangetsu's hilt and pointed it downward. "…destroy this execution pole."

She simply couldn't comprehend his words. "Wha…? That's nonsense!! Listen Ichigo, This Soukyoku's…!"

"-That's nothing. Just shut up and watch." He said with a smirk on his face as he stabbed his blade down into the wood. A bright light engulfed the hill, and dual explosions, both below and above it made themselves known. " '…Don't help me, Don't make a fuss you brat…' I said it before; all of your opinions are rejected. This is the second time, and I wanna say it again… I'm here to rescue you, Rukia."

She opened her eyes to find herself being carried like a handbag on Ichigo's arm, as he stood to the right of the split in the poles. Slowly, tears began to make their way to her eyes, and she whispered, "I won't say thank you… Idiot…" Ichigo smirked as he replied.

"...Yeah."

* * *

All looked up in disbelief at the two split poles, as well as the four figures atop them. Ukitake had arrived just in time to see the Soukyoku turn to dust, and in his amazement, dropped the Shihōin shield. The only one who didn't have such a face was Unohana, though surprise was still in her expression, barely.

Even Yamamoto's eyes widened as he witnessed the destruction of the tools used for execution.

"I, Ichigo… I want to ask you… What are you going to do now? Is there any chance to disappear from here when so many are watching…?" Rukia asked her savior.

"Run."

"I'm-Impossible! The opponents are captains! There no way to run!"

"Then we'll beat them up first and then run away." He replied with a seemingly bored expression. "Not only me; Inoue, Ishida also, and Chad are here as well. And Ganju, and Hanatarou… I'll save everyone who helped me, and run away together." He spoke with a clear, confident smile on his face. As Rukia listened she couldn't help but think, _'From your eyes, from your words… I can feel Ichigo's power flowing into me.'_ She allowed herself to smile as she thought, _'You've become stronger Ichigo…'_

The sound of screaming men brought both of them back to reality as they looked toward the source of the noise. Renji stepped over the bleeding bodies of the sages that activated the Soukyoku. Rukia cried out in joy. "RENJI!! What a surprise, You're alive! Good-"

"-RENJI!!" Ichigo hefted Rukia up over his shoulder and began to swing her forward and backward for a moment. Renji quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

Rukia began to panic. "Wai-wait Ichigo! What are your trying to do?!" Renji's face darkened with comical surprise. "Ww-wait! Don't tell me you're going to…!"

Ichigo smiled mischievously as he shouted out, "CATCH HER!!!" He swung her over his shoulder one last time before releasing her, throwing her like a javelin toward Renji.

"KYAAAAAAA!!!!!" Renji shouted back, "IDIOT!!!!!" Both friends collided and rolled a good fifty meters backwards. As they recovered from the small crater they made, they simultaneously yelled angrily up at Ichigo. "Your such an Idiot, Ichigo!!"

"What would you have done if I missed, bastard!?!"

"Take her!"

"Wha?"

"Don't just stand there, Take here away now!!" Ichigo shouted back as he rested Zangetsu over his shoulder. "That's your job! Protect her with your life!!" Renji's face switched to a determined one and he immediately began running from the stands toward the stares down the hill. Ichigo smirked after them.

Omaeda could only mumble "A-A-Abarai…!"

Soifon was quick to take charge. "Why are you just looking, you fools!!? CATCH THEM!! All vice-captains after them!!"

Yamamoto nodded and Isane, Omaeda, and Chōjirō all rushed forward after Renji, while Ichigo remained Standing where he was. Even as they began to gain on them, the man in the black cloak appeared directly in front of them, halting their advance. The man opened his eyes again, and those strange crimson orbs gazed back, chilling them to the core. Omaeda, more gutsy, shouted at him to move. When the man didn't, he released His zanpakutō, egging the other two to do the same.

Chōjirō lunged forward, thrusting his rapier type blade toward the man's gut. It connected and pierced him, Isane shunpo-ed behind him and stabbed him in the kidney. Omaeda leaped up into the air and threw down his chained mace as the other two vice-captains leapt away from the resulting crater and smoke.

"Haha! Got 'em!!" When the smoke cleared they saw the mangled and bloody body of one of the sages. Their eyes went wide as the man appeared directly behind them. They were unable to even bat an eye before blood erupted from instantaneous wounds that opened all over their bodies.

Omaeda had his shoulders cut into.

Chōjirō's wrists spit open and he lost feeling in one of his legs, causing him to collapse.

Isane felt only two short pains in her shoulders and she realized she had been stabbed in both of them, making them essentially useless. She fell to the ground in pain.

Omaeda passed out from the pain and Chōjirō couldn't move properly, but Isane raised he head to gaze into the face of their attacker. When their eyes met she felt as if her soul was being sucked away. All else fell away and it was only her and the man, floating in some strange world where the sun was the same as his eyes; crimson, with three black tomoe dots spiraling around the pupil. The man seemed to shrink from view, but the visage of the eyes remained. The dots began spinning and she felt her consciousness leave.

Itachi watched as his Genjutsu put the girl into a merciful sleep. He never did like fighting women. He never liked fighting period, but when he had to, he hated it when it was a female.

He turned from the three crumpled bodies back to the execution stands, where the boy, Ichigo he remembered, had begun to fight Byakuya. Assessing the situation he began to calmly walk back to the confused group of Shinigami. "Nee-san!!" Itachi noticed a small girl with yellow/orange hair begin running to her sister, whom he assumed he had just defeated. Ukitake cried out, not to his subordinate, but rather to him. "Don't hurt her! We came to stop the execution!!" Itachi didn't appear to even acknowledge the words, but as the girl was nearly two feet from him, he merely sidestepped around her and let her run to her older sibling. It didn't matter; she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Ukitake seemed to relax as the man avoided Kiyone, his Third-seat. Soifon, Unohana and Kyoraku each had watched with mild fascination as the three vice-captains had attacked and been defeated. When they attacked, the Akatsuki member had suddenly vanished and in his place stood a Shinigami sage, but what amazed them is that they had plenty of time to stop their attacks, but had attacked him anyway, and presumably killed him. Only an instant later the Akatsuki had appeared behind them, and before they could blink, wounds opened on all three of them.

Soifon was surprised by the speed at which he had attacked them. Even _she_ hardly saw the quick strike he had made. Kyoraku whistled in genuine surprise and donned a smirk. "Yeesh that was fast! It's a good think you're on our side, right?"

Itachi, for the first time, spoke. "We heard about the execution, and knew the Ryoka would use that moment to attack. That meant that it would also be the perfect opportunity to attack ourselves."

Ukitake stuttered slightly when he asked the question that buzzed in his head at that very moment. "Wait, why _are_ you attacking?"

Itachi's Sharingan found itself gazing at Ukitake's eyes. "Why? _Why?_ You have the audacity to ask that?"

_Interactive Flashback no Jutsu!_

Ukitake felt the world drop away and he appeared in another place. It was a barely lit alley, with many shadowed, but familiar figures were gathered. He recognized most of them as New Souls, but there were a few others he didn't recognize. One was a tall being with plant-like appendages surrounding his half black, half white body. Another was a young red headed boy who was kneeled over beside a pink haired girl of approximately the same age.

He looked around and realized this must be some sort of replay or vision that the Akatsuki was placing into his head. He walked forward and noticed that no one seemed to acknowledge him. He looked over at what everyone was staring at when he spotted a nearly black haired girl covered in an Akatsuki cloak. Beside them was the Namikaze boy, and Ukitake suddenly realized that the girl was his wife, Namikaze Hinata. He brushed past some of the others to get a better look.

The blond looked at the red haired boy and asked, "What did he do to her?" Sasori closed his eyes. "To monitor everything about them during experimentation, Mayuri injects them with a bacterium that constantly sends reports back to a central computer. Unfortunately, it must be injected all over the body and is extremely painful. But just one dose isn't enough. It varies, but the usual dosage is about seven times. We were lucky to have found her so soon; she had just had her first injection not long before. I was able to inject my own drugs into her to negate the bacteria and kill it. She's been asleep since then."

Naruto looked at Hinata's paler than usual face. "She'll be all right… right?" Sasori nodded. "She should be, but Sakura-san should take a look at her just in case." Sakura complied and jogged over, carefully taking Hinata from Naruto's arms.

"Why the cloak?" Naruto asked.

To put it as gently as he could Sasori looked away and said, "Cloths are a hindrance in experimentation." Naruto's eyes widened as he looked, and now saw, that Hinata was clearly without her usual shirt, and her legs were bare. He had been so glad she was safe before that he hadn't really noticed.

Ukitake's eyes also widened as he realized what Mayuri had done.

Naruto became very angry at this, his hands curled into fists. Sakura heard Sasori and asked the others to look away, knowing how Naruto felt about her.

Sasori kneeled down and pointed out several areas that still looked infected with the foreign bacteria. Sakura nodded and began to immediately heal those places. To her surprise the bacteria died almost instantly and dissolved into the blood stream. Those that didn't dissolve were eaten by Hinata's antibodies and Sasori's own mixture.

As soon as the swelling where she was injected went down, she began to immediately examine the rest of her. Working her way down from her neck, she checked every part of Hinata's body; her neck, her shoulders, arms, chest, belly, and pelvis. That's as far as she got. As soon as she got there though she gasped, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Ukitake, despite knowing he was in a memory, asked out loud, "What?"

Naruto was at her side in an instant. "What is it?!" Sakura closed her eyes and tried her best to lie. She knew that if she said it then Naruto would rampage, and sure enough, there would be a body count in the morning.

But she couldn't stand his red gaze. He would be able to tell if she lied anyway. She gulped before she continued, slowly. "There-there's slight bruising around the genital region, and her chest also has similar bruising. The bruises are numerous, and they don't just appear on one part of her skin. Also there appears to be some damage to her…" She didn't know how to put this gently. "…her dignity." Without proper instruments, Sakura wouldn't be able to tell to what extent she had been damaged, but the evidence that she had in a way been damaged was clear to her.

And Naruto wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what she meant. His eyes went wide, but his eyebrows remained furrowed. His whiskers now became thick and rough. His hair became ragged and wild. Black claws shot from his finger tips and they curled into scythe like knives. But almost immediately after, red energy leaked from all over his body, like energy sweat. In an instant two tails had formed, and the third was well on its way.

Kisame also immediately jumped on Naruto to hold him down, despite the burning that the Kyuubi's energy caused. Naruto growled at him as he struggled to stand. Kisame was the physically strongest of the Akatsuki, so even Naruto couldn't break out from his iron grip. Well, he could, but it wasn't easy. **"Let me go! I'm gonna kill them all!!"**

Kisame grunted as he put Naruto into a submission hold while Sasori got up and crouched down in front of the now-prone Naruto. "Exactly. Remember, it was you who said the emotional decision was never the best one."

Naruto grunted in annoyance. **"That doesn't apply if it's the best one at the time!"**

Sasori grabbed him by the hair to look him in the eyes. "Then let me offer a better one. Let me kill Mayuri. You know my abilities. You know how I can make him suffer. If you did it, he'd die in a heartbeat, and he would never experience regret for his actions, now would he?" Naruto stayed silent, but wore a contemplative face. He was considering it, which was a better outcome than what he had predicted. He had thought Naruto would ignore him and barrel through Seireitei looking for him anyway. But that also meant how much he wanted to absolutely destroy Mayuri, if through Sasori.

Pain had no objections to it, so he waited for Naruto's answer. Naruto looked at the ground, and then to Hinata's pale face. She continued to slumber despite the goings on around her.

He continued to look at her for a moment before speaking. **"Sasori, you had better send him to hell, bring him back and kill him again for what he did, you hear me?" **Sasori nodded sympathetically. "Don't worry Naruto, I will."

He turned suddenly, a determined expression on his face. "I'll be off then, Mayuri isn't without his flaws. I know exactly where he'll be." Without waiting for a response, he strode over to Hiruko and sat down within.

The puppet closed in around him. Despite Hiruko's build, it Shunshin-ed away, leaving a group of now very angry shinobi. Pain smiled a bit as Konan simply said, "I guess from here on out, we're at war."

_Interactive Flashback no Jutsu, Kai!_

Ukitake's head nearly spun. So that was the reason. He watched as the figure slinked away into the darkness. "Impossible! We haven't heard anything from Mayuri… Could he have…?" Instantly the world vaporized and he returned to the land of the living… So to speak. He blinked once… twice… His mouth nearly dropped. Now he understood what had sparked this conflict. _'Damn that Mayuri! He let his curiosity get the best of him!'_ He looked back at Itachi with a serious expression.

"I had no knowledge of this." Kyoraku agreed, prompting Ukitake to realize they had both seen the same thing. "I didn't either. And I apologize for our compatriot's actions. If it's any consolation, I'd have done the same as you."

Itachi nodded. "I know. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty to invade your minds and see if you knew anything while you were occupied with the replay. You're lucky that none of you did. It appears that Mayuri acted on his own in this case. Still, you're all still to blame for bringing us here in the first place."

Kyoraku tilted his hat down and frowned. "That's true… Can we put that grievance aside to cooperate for this mission, for now?" Itachi didn't move. "That's not my decision to make. Only Naruto or Pain can make that decision."

Soifon hadn't seen the memory, Itachi having noted that she wouldn't care either way, but he did check to see if she knew. She didn't.

Unohana's eyes were closed in sorrow, sorrow for all that had transpired. She would have shed a tear if she had the time, but unfortunately she didn't. From behind her walked the other raven haired youth. Sasuke walked past her and drew his katana, angling to meet Soifon. "Whether involved or not, your misguided beliefs and arrogance have brought upon you all that has and will transpire."

His eyes changed from black to red and Soifon's eyes narrowed. "You… little… Brat!!" She drew her Zanpakutō and charged forward, toward Sasuke. He easily met her strikes but feigned weakness and leaped back to avoid involving the innocent.

She followed him, leaving the three captains left with the singular Akatsuki. Wait, make that _four_ Shinigami captains. Yamamoto smashed his cane down onto the ground, forcing all to look at him. "Nobody moves! The person who took the culprit away was a vice-captain. Kill him, and take her back. That is simple. However, the people I can't forgive is you! You captains have done something you should have not. Why?"

Ukitake didn't get a chance to answer as Kyoraku grabbed him by the shoulder. "YOSH! We have no choice! Let's get out of here Ukitake!!"

"What?!" he didn't have time to finish what he was saying as he was dragged, along with Kyoraku down the hill. Itachi vanished as well, following them. They might be the enemy, but these seemed smarter than the average captain. They must have some sort of plan. He hoped.

* * *

Yamamoto sat on the large stone as he waited for the two captains, New Soul, and singular vice-captain to appear. As it turned out all except the vice-captain arrived at the same time, though she was only slight slower, and appeared a moment after. "Geez, that's Yama-ji for you."

"What? Did you think that I wouldn't be able to keep up with children like you? This won't end with just a lecture this time!" He noticed the vice-captain begin to reach into her hakama, for her zanpakutō presumably, sending his reiatsu into her. She was sweating profusely in mere moments. She might have suffocated if Shunsui hadn't broken their eye contact and take her away. He was back in a moment with a blur of motion. "That's a pretty shunpo. It seemed like you can travel great distances in just a moment."

Shunsui tipped his hat in gratitude. "Domo."

"Looking back, both of you have improved greatly. Shunsui, you were always chasing girls, but you had a lot of talent, different from others. Joushiro, even though you had a weak body, your had a strong heart. You were always popular with everyone you met. And every time you fought, your power became greater than anyone else's. Senior or peer, there was no one who could compete with you. I taught you how to expand your powers to make you undefeatable. When you both became captains, I was proud of you, just like my own suns. I believed in you. Your spirits were different, but you walked the same path."

They stared at him in silence. "You make me sick." Revealed his zanpakutō and drew it.

Ukitake began to sweat lightly. "Genryūsai-sensei…" Yamamoto cut him off. "Shut up. There's no need to talk now. Draw your swords."

Both of them did and he charged forward. Both of them did the same and they met, with their blades pressing against his, rather pathetically. He threw them of easily and they slid back. This continued for a few minutes. "Do you want to fight me without releasing your Zanpakutō?"

Kyoraku tipped his hat toward him. "Are we really going to fight, Yama-ji?"

"Shut up! I've said it before; I won't forgive anyone who disobeys the law."

Shunsui countered, "It was you who taught us to pursue our own justice, Yama-ji."

Ukitake concurred. "And that's the reason we became Shinigami. You taught us that, sensei!"

Yamamoto countered, "Your talking nonsense. The world's justice has nothing to do with your own sense of justice."

"So what is the world's justice, Genryūsai-sensei?!" Ukitake challenged him. He glowered at them before speaking again. "Don't you understand? I said it before; The time for talk is over!" He threw his haori off and slipped his arms out of his hakama. "Let's start."

He held his Zanpakutō out and chanted, "**Reduce all creation to ash, Ryūjin Jakka!**"

The blade evaporated, but was instantly replaced with a blade of fire, spewing every which way as it burned down the surrounding area. However, Yamamoto was unprepared to have a burst of fire shot toward him. He easily bated it away, and he heard a cool, collected voice make itself heard above the den. "Surely you haven't forgotten about me, have you?"

Yamamoto turned to see the Akatsuki, Uchiha Itachi walking through the flames. What amazed him was how the flames seemed to bend away from him, rather than licking at his cloths. He had to be at least captain level to do that.

"Ah, of course not. Uchiha Itachi, forgive me, I do not know you personally so I cannot praise you for your past. However, I must also reprimand you for attacking members of the Gotei Thirteen."

Itachi cut in before he could continue. "I could show you why, but you would be exposed to your own folly. I doubt you will want to know, especially before this fight is over." Ukitake and Kyoraku watched as the young man unflinchingly stood up against Yamamoto.

They had to give him points for courage. "Itachi-san, I think it might be best if you stayed out of this one, it'll be rougher than you think."

Itachi replied by activating his Sharingan eyes. "Not to worry, against such as him, I have the upper hand." Yamamoto watched as the man drew a slender straight blade from within his cloak, which extended out from the right sleeve.

What had his attention however, was the Sharingan active in Itachi's eyes. "Sharingan… From what you told us, it made your family the greatest in your world."

"That is correct. Despite being born of the Byakugan, it surpassed it in so many ways. Do not underestimate its power."

"Itachi-san, perhaps you should know, Yama-ji's Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, has the strongest attack power in all of Seireitei. Everything it touches burns to ashes after only minutes."

"That's just as well, I want to see if his flame is greater than mine. Witness the power that has destroyed the Soukyoku." All three of them widened their eyes as he held his katana out. "Of my three greatest techniques, this is the only one I sealed into a sword."

Yamamoto quirked an eyebrow at that. It sounded almost as if he had made a pseudo-Zanpakutō. His doubts were quickly cleared away as the raven haired man closed his eyes.

"**Ignite, Amaterasu!**" The sword began to glow red, before dulling to black. He opened his eyes again and stared directly at the captain-commander. What worried the old man was that nothing seemed to have changed, which meant that something devastating was about to happen.

"Then show me…" He swung his sword in a wide arc, sending a wave of flames toward him. "…this supposed power!"

Itachi didn't move, and Ukitake was just about to absorb the attack for him when Shunsui placed his hand on his friends shoulder. He shook his head and explained, even as the waves of flame rushed forward. "You only saw the Soukyoku disintegrate, but I have a feeling that the power that destroyed it, really was from this man."

The first wave had reached Itachi, and he responded on by slashing upward, and the wave instantly split. Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. _'Something is off. Ryūjin Jakka's flame cannot be broken so easily. Could he have disrupted them?'_ Even as he thought this, Itachi had slashed through the last of the waves the old Shinigami had sent at him.

"You haven't seen it yet? Watch closely." He mocked as he again slashed forward. White light shot from the black sword as a beam of flames burned toward the ancient man. He scoffed as he also cut through them with ease. Itachi had taken the opportunity to leap forward and clash blades with the old captain. Yamamoto's eyes widened when he felt the black sword begin to cut into his own. He threw the young man off, who slid to a stop.

"You don't know the Legends of the Amaterasu, so I can't blame you for being surprised. But I'm done with trying to hint you. I'll simply show you." Shunsui's eye widened as a piece clicked in his brain. "I remember now. I asked one day for Itachi-san to share stories together over a drink. He shared with me the Legend of the Amaterasu. The legend was infamous because Itachi was one of the few who could use it. It actually stemmed from his story of the Sharingan and its secrets." Ukitake looked at his friend again, biding him to continue.

"The Sharingan had many levels of power, unlike other Kekkei Genkai. The Uchiha had kept it secret for many years because of the requirements. There was a secret level beyond Sharingan, and it could only be obtained by the loss of someone close to you. It far exceeded the normal Sharingan, and only his brother was known for defeating it with the standard Sharingan. One of his Sharingan's abilities... 'Amaterasu.' Legends spread where he used it, and people were terrified of its devastating power."

Ukitake looked back at Itachi, whose eyes were closed.

Yamamoto was not deaf to this and readied himself accordingly. Itachi opened his eyes and they began to change. Yama watched at the pupil and tomoe dots merge with each other and form a three sided shuriken type design. Where the black Pupil had been was now a red one, and the one of his left eye expanded slightly. "**Mangekyo Sharingan!**" Itachi's right eye widened as he gazed at the yellow flames of his adversary. Yamamoto felt a presence of something he hadn't experienced in centuries. The reiatsu the boy was giving off was dark, evil, it felt as if the very feel of the spiritual energy would corrupt him beyond imagination. Hollow's couldn't even compare to this!

His eyes popped open when he saw a wall of flame next to him explode into blackness. He leapt back and saw as another wall beside him burned black as well. He sent a tsunami of fire at the Uchiha, on to watch as it was consumed by dark fire. His eyes, he couldn't shut them!

"The flames of Amaterasu are the very fires of Hell itself, and its power transcends even the Sun! One merely needs to sight the target and it will immediately become engulfed with its flames, and they will continue to burn until the target as been reduced to dust, even if the target happens to be flame itself."

Yamamoto desperately poured out more flames to keep the black ones at bay. Itachi looked up into the black sky and began to laugh. "Rain, rain, rain!! RAIN DOWN FIRE FROM HELL!!!" This massive change in personalities shocked the two spectators. The clouds above them vanished into black fire and the water within them evaporated, only to condense quickly into even larger clouds, before black rain began to drizzle. Yamamoto used a large shield of fire and threw it above him, both shielding him and momentarily disrupting the rain clouds as it burned itself out.

"Yamamoto so-taicho..." Itachi said, eerily back to his calm and collected nature. "Even your strongest attack will burn before these eyes." Itachi's eyes traced Yamamoto's fire sword and it two burst into unholy flames. Yamamoto shunpo-ed away and pushed the black flames back but ejecting more fire than they could consume, and cut off the fire from his sword, and the black flames burned into the air. He was panting despite himself. The amount of fire he had been forced to eject, just to feed to the black flames before him, was substantial.

But something else was causing him to pant. This aura, the dark burning feeling in the pit of his stomach made his mind scream at him, _'Run away! He's evil! You cannot defeat him!!'_ He gripped both hands on the hilt of Ryūjin Jakka, and brought it behind him. With a single sweep the flames burned twice as hot as they had before and Itachi found himself encased in fire.

"**Jōkaku Enjō.**" Yamamoto said. _'This is more dangerous than I could have ever expected. I need to end this in one attack.'_ He held his sword in front of him and called out, "**Ryūjin Jakka** **no Ichi, Nadegiri!**" He flashed forward and dove into his own flames.

He emerged on the other side, and Itachi was just beginning to face his direction before he sliced across his gut, severing the Uchiha in two. The orange and black flames dissipated, and while elsewhere, the conflicting flames were burning the ruins around them, where Itachi and Yamamoto were, there were no flames at all.

Ukitake and Kyoraku were speechless. True the old man never had to release his Bankai, but Itachi had been able to press him to end it quickly. Ukitake and Kyoraku, who had released their Zanpakutō during the fight to defend themselves against wildly thrown pyrotechnics, looked around at the carnage. Black fire was everywhere, consuming the materials around them. Kyoraku bowed his head in remembrance.

"Seven days." Ukitake looked at him curiously. "Itachi-san told me that the flames of Amaterasu could not be put out and would continue to burn for seven days… Truly a fearsome ability. No wonder the people of his world feared it." Ukitake could only look at the stalwart form of the so-tachio and the lifeless Akatsuki. "Yamamoto…sensei…"

He turned to them and approached. Despite realizing that his becoming serious resulted in the ruining of the mood he wanted to be in while he punished his students, he felt that he still needed to teach them a lesson, though he would much rather dwell on the Uchiha's skill than fight at the moment.

"Y-You didn't have to kill him! You could have only neutralized him!" Ukitake shout out. Yamamoto did not answer his query. He stood apart from them, Ryūjin Jakka burning only a slight glow, and the black clouds breaking up, allowing the sun to shine through. They stared at each other for a minute and that minute of silence spoke fathoms to each other. No words needed to be said. Just when the silence met its peak…

"What's wrong? Is that all you have?" All three of them went wide eyed and Yamamoto turned to see the "dead" Itachi begin to rise. Blood pooling at his feet, but not near as much as there should have been. As he stood, his Akatsuki cloak burned away, flowing with the wind until it vanished completely. Ukitake tried to speak but only small gagging sounds escaped. Kyoraku didn't even try to speak. Yamamoto was equally speechless, but that was quickly lost.

"What are you?" He asked hesitantly. Itachi stood and opened his eyes, having returned to their black state. "I was hesitant to use this, but I don't want to die from being stubborn."

Reiryoku began seeping from Itachi and it began to shape into a massive ethereal skeleton. Even as they watched in awe, ethereal robes and mask covered the spirit being. Two fearsome yellow eyes peaked from in between the teeth of the monstrosity. Itachi stood in the center of it. "Here it is, the final technique that developed in these eyes; **The Susano'o.**" Yamamoto readied his sword again.

Itachi smirked as a trickled of blood dripped down his chin. "You said, 'This won't end with a lecture this time.' Allow me to reiterate that. Your arrogance will be paid for, and it won't just be a slap on the wrist." The massive warrior above him stretched out his right hand and a small gourd of what looked like sake was revealed. When the "sake" splashed out though, it became apparent that it really wasn't. Yamamoto slashed downward and a pillar of flame raced forward. The great spirit slashed as well and the flames were simply sucked up into the bottle. Yamamoto's eyes widened. Itachi smirked as the other arm revealed itself and a large ethereal shield was produced. Atop its head, a red gem was adorned.

Yamamoto couldn't help but feel the eyes of the opposing spirit glower at him. "What it that technique?!"

"**The ****Susano'o.**" Itachi replied evenly. "A massive spirit warrior drawn forth to fight. I'm sure you understand what this sword and shield are?"

Yamamoto looked carefully at the sword and shield before a shiver ran down his spine.

"It, it can't be! The **Totsuka no Tsurugi **and the **Yata Mirror**?!" Kyoraku quirked and eyebrow. "Yama-ji, you know what they are?"

Genryūsai furrowed his eyebrows. "This fight has become much more dangerous than I could have possible imagined. The Totsuka no Tsurugi is a spirit weapon, one of the few to be wielded by humans. Anything it cut was sealed away for eternity in another world where they will live out their wildest dreams forever. It _cannot_ be blocked. The other is the Yata Mirror, it has been said to defend against any and all attacks. That's how he defended against my Nadegiri."

Both of them were surprised for sure. "You serious?! How did he get them?!"

Kyoraku thoughtfully realized, _'As long as he cannot be blocked, and can't be attacked, he's literally invincible. Can Bankai even compare with this?'_

Itachi kept up his smirk. "That's not important. However, Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni, you will feel the full brunt of this technique!" Yamamoto closed his eyes this time. _'I have no choice. Against such a force, I can only hope to try and stop him.'_

He held his Zanpakutō out before him. **Susano'o** raised its sword arm up ready to strike. Both opponents stared each other down. "Forgive me, Uchiha Itachi… Ban-!!" All four of them suddenly felt a twinge of pain in their heads, and their eyes went wide. Itachi looked back to the execution grounds. "So that's it…" Shunsui and Joushiro each felt their backs stiffen. "…Impossible…"

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty! That was kind of a fun one to do! I only got about four reviews on the last chapter, and would appreciate more of them. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this. Now, i know some of you will ask me, "Well didnt he allready tell them of the sword and sheild, as well as his abilities when they were introduced?" Well, yes, he did, but now that I think about it, Ninja wouldn't be so quick to share their abilities or their pasts. Because of this, im going to edit the Strained Introductions chapter, sometime... Anway, yeah its not a coninuity error, its just I havent gotten time to edit the other chapter. **

**Zanpakuto:**

**_Oukiri: (King Cutter) Zabuza's Oukiri is a water dragon spirit and is able to manifest her in a similar way to Hyorinmaru. However, the key differences between the two are that Oukiri can pour and unending amount of water out of her to attack, and allows the manipulation of water. She has been untested against Ice-type Zanpakuto. _**

**_Amaterasu: (Illuminating Heaven)_ _Itachi's sealed Mankegyo ability into a blade, enhancing the attack in multiple ways. The blade is covered in Amaterasu's flames, thus is black color, and so can cut through anything by burning the immediate matter it touches. It also eases the strain on Itachi when he uses it. Its final ability allows it to manipulate heat, allowing it similar fire abilities to Yamamoto's. Its weakness is Kido-based Zanpakuto._**

**I know you guys would want to know about those. Please leave comments and questions in your Reviews! (If you have a question, please dont use an anonymous review, I cant respond to those.) REVIEW!!!! Yeah.**


	14. Chapter 14: The Present Pt 2

**A/N: Well the last chapter was fun to write, and this one was too, but not nearly as much. To be honest im not exactly satisfied by it, and it was actually very hard to write everything correctly and make them flow as well as possible. Well, my personal opinion is that this one stincks, but you tell me. **

**Speaking of you telling me, I went through and looked at all my reviews and recorded them. From now on I will post the names of those who review, and those who are loyal/helpfull fan/reviewers:**

**Thank you** Thousand Tailed Holy FlashFang: (5), litewarior4: (9), RazetheWorld: (1), Lord Grond: (8), Kasek: (1), The Unknown Angel RC: (1), trackrunner525: (1), x1griff1x: (1), Katana and Rika: (1), Le loup de Kaiser: (4), The Laughing Poenix: (3), YukiKitsune103: (1), Metal Panda: (1), aznpoenix95: (1), hannibal221: (1), HolyKnight5: (3), Froggy-slice: (2), Kyuubilord: (2), XllShadowllX: (3), Kazukimi: (2), Liger01: (1), geetac: (1), Tashio: (6), Neko-Graphic: (4), DualX: (1), CholdofStorms: (1), tombman13: (1), Vulc10900: (1), JNottle: (1), Dude4514: (3), skepsis66: (2), Sdarian: (1), DeathsAssailent: (1), Neco-chan: (1), sniper757 (1), **and** SuperiorShortness: (1) **for your reviews.**

**----------Anonymous----------**

Anonymous (2), Uzuki Katana: (2), Katana (1), colin (1), ImLovingThis: (2), insert generic nick here (1), Anon: (2), patrick b (1), Dfletch (1), amir (1)

**(Anonymous reviewers, its difficult for me to tell you all apart, and makes it difficult for me to give you your due. Please, if you can, make an accont and review. Not saying you cant review if your AN, but its just harder for me to aknowledge you all. Thank you anyway though.^_^)**

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**And special thanks to: **

Lord Grond, **for your short but ritualistic reviewing of my chapters. (And for being one of the two people to review chapter 2)**

Thousand Tailed Holy FlashFang, **for being the very first reviewer and for getting the ball rolling. I thank ye!**

litewarior4, **for your loyalty to my story and to my motivation. (And for being the second of the two to review chapter 2)**

Le loup de Kaiser, **for being a great friend to me despite his limited reviews. I pray your schedual opens up for you. **

The Laughing Poenix, **for your nice and looong reviews that keep me entertained and motivated. Arigato.**

YukiKitsune103, **for your pointing out some chapter flaws that I might not have noticed untill it was too late.**

HolyKnight5,** for ideas you have given me that have or have yet to be implemented into my story :)**

Tashio, **for your praise of my story at every turn, and for being an extremely loyal and helpfull fan. (I still wouldn't know the difference between reiatsu and reiryoku if it werent for you.)**

Dude4514, f**or your exceedingly analysation and brutal hoesty towards my work. I cant thank you enough.**

Neco-chan, **for being probably the only female to review my story. Your insight on how my story needs to be to appeal to both genders will be much appreciated.**

**-**

**These people have been loyal, helpfull, and above all, _brave enough_ to review my story and not be afraid to speak their minds. Even bad reviews are helpfull, (as long as you explain them :P) and are loved with as much affection as other reviews. Your fanaticism towards my story is appreciated more than you could know. From now on, I will be putting up the names of each chapter's reviewers, so read, review, and be acknowledged!!!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: The Present Pt 2**

Reiatsu clashed all around them as Ichigo and Byakuya dueled it out atop the Soukyoku hill. Each attack was meant to kill, but at the same time, they were only testing the other. Between the vanishing blurs they were becoming, and the slicing flashes they were making, one might have mistaken them for lightning in a thunder storm, which wasn't far from the truth to be perfectly honest. Ichigo was finally able to make the captain stop moving and both pushed their swords into a deadlock.

"…Why?" Ichigo looked at the captain's face. "…Why do you continuously try and rescue Rukia?"

Ichigo retorted in a similar tone. "I could ask you the same thing. You're her brother aren't you?"

Byakuya was silent for a moment before he spoke. "What an insignificant question. I could answer it, but people like you will never understand. But, now isn't the time for questions. Let's fight!"

Both of them increased their pressure on the other's blade in an attempt to throw them off balance. Both pushed equally, and they slid away from each other. Ichigo rushed forward to meet Byakuya's mirror charge, both using Shunpo to its full advantage. Both of them swung again, and their blades met, blasting spiritual energy everywhere. "Kurosaki Ichigo… I will kill you. And next time, I'll kill Rukia myself."

Ichigo smirked and threw off his cloak. "Sorry, but I aint lettin' that happen." Both of them raised their swords and an explosion blew dust about the hill.

* * *

"Oooh…" Isane slowly opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was those terrible eyes of the black haired man. Even remembering the sight caused her to shiver and get sick in her stomach. She blinked as looked up and saw the sky, and clouds passing by.

"Awake now, Isane?" The voice was kind and gentle, and Isane instantly recognized it as her captain's. "Unohana-taicho! I-"

"Don't speak. You were the least injured of the three of you, but you were still bleeding badly. I managed to heal them well enough, but I doubt you will be able to move your arms yet." Isane looked down at her hands. Lying on her back, she saw that her hands were pale and the veins protruded from her skin. She tried to command her arms to move, to which she only got a few fingers to twitch.

She sighed quietly in defeat, and her thoughts drifted back to the brief scuffle her and the other two vice captains had lost to; she dared not call it a fight. They had all been taken out so quickly and effortlessly… it scared her. "Unohana-taicho, what's the situation at the execution grounds?"

Her captain smiled gently at her. "Don't worry yourself with that now, just focus on resting." She then placed her hand on the green floor they were on. "Take us down, **Minazuki**." The beast below her complied and the green, one-eyed, manta-like flyer swooped down and landed in front of the Fourth division's barracks (perhaps hospital would be a better word).

A group of medic ran out of the main doors toward them shouting. "Do you have any injuries Unohana-taicho?! Kotetsu-fuku-taicho?!" Unohana jumped off of Minazuki and landed gently. She spoke as she helped Isane slide off and gain her balance. "Yes. Please bring them out now, Minazuki."

The green creature obediently heaved out a glob of black, that revealed itself to be a group of injured Shinigami. Even as the Minazuki returned to her master's scabbard, Unohana began giving out instructions. "Two of the four have critical injuries. The other two were for the most part healed within Minazuki. Take them to sick bay no. 16 and let them rest there."

"Hai!" She recalled what had happened. The two critically injured were her vice-captain's sister, as well as the First division's vice captain, who's slit wrists might have caused him to die of blood loss had she not gotten to him. The girl had been what others might have called "collateral damage" during the fighting between Soifon-taicho and the Uchiha. She was able to save her and the few other higher ups that had been injured beyond self healing. She could only hope that this conflict would end soon.

"Isane, if you're able, I'd like you to come with me." Isane threw her captain a curious look. "There's someplace I wish to go." Was her only explanation. Isane nodded anyway and followed her captain away from the Fourth division's hospital/barracks. Little did they know they were being followed by a shadowy group of individuals.

* * *

**_A Little Earlier_**

Sasuke dodged each attack Soifon threw at him, and Soifon in turn was becoming extremely frustrated. "I hope your holding back taicho-san…" Soifon looked into her black eyes when he spoke. "…because if your fighting at full strength right now, then you're a poor excuse for a captain." She growled at him as she pushed him back. "Shut your mouth brat! I'm just getting started!" She brought her left hand to the blade of her Zanpakutō and released it. "**Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi!**" Sasuke watched as her blade turned into a black and gold gauntlet, with the middle finger being a type of stinger.

Sasuke scoffed and struck back. "Seen it once, seen it all." He struck out at her only for her to vanish faster than his eyes could see. He leapt away just in time to avoid a stabbing strike to his back. Taking a few consecutive hops away, Soifon chased after him, again using her speed to her advantage. Sasuke slashed at her, only to have attacked her after-image. Even as he was turning to face her, she thrust her hand forward and buried it deep into the man's lung. She smiled at his shocked face, before she heard a strange high-pitched poof and smoke filled her vision. She closed her eyes for a moment before she saw that she didn't really have her hand stabbed inside the Uchiha, but rather the blond haired girl who she recalled as one of the third seats from the Thirteenth division. Her eyes widened, as the girl she stabbed. Soifon's mind raced. 'W-what the hell…?!"

She was brought out of her short lived thoughts as her keen ears picked up a whooshing sound. She turned to see Sasuke in the air not a foot behind her, his katana in a reverse grip and aimed down at her chest. His eyes were blazing red as he brought the blade down. Soifon acted quickly and swung the blond in front of the attack, which pierced her chest all the way through. The girl was too stunned to even cry out in pain as Sasuke mercifully knocked her out when he made eye contact. "So you would even sacrifice your comrades? How low do you intend to go?"

The body dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap. Her eyes, even though unconscious, were open, and seemed to be transfixed on something beyond mortal sight; beyond life itself. Sasuke barely spared her a glance. Soifon flipped her left hand downward and he was instantly surrounded by SpecOps forces. "As low as needed to eliminate you! Attack!" Sasuke sighed as the group of twenty ninja-like soldiers rushed him. Despite their attire, and they way they carried themselves, Sasuke would not dare call them ninja. They were simply highly-trained hand-to-hand fighters, nothing more. Nothing Sasuke couldn't handle.

He slashed at the closest one and opened a cut on his shoulder, and immediately spun to deflect a strike at his exposed flank. He grabbed the wrist of the man's sword arm and kneed him in the crotch, effectively lifting him of the ground. He used his air born opponent's momentum to throw him over his shoulder into an approaching enemy. Both of them grunted as they landed. Another attempted an over-head chop, only to have his hands severed at the forearms, and then slashed across the gut. Sasuke leapt into the air, followed by three others. He spun and slashed at one, sending him to the ground in pain, and continued his spin to deflect a strike from another. He grabbed one man's shoulder and grappled around over top of him and axe kicked him in the back of the head, sending him to the ground in a smoking crater.

He landed only a moment before the third fighter did, and he used his opponent's inability to maneuver and stabbed him in the gut. He withdrew the blade quickly and turned to the other SpecOps. Four of them leapt into the air from different side and the rest lunged with their blades.

Sasuke smirked and vanished with a *SHEEN* sound. The attacking force's eyes bugged out of their heads when they saw they were about to attack each other. They were lucky to be able to dodge the friendly attack as they did, but they were unorganized for a split second; that was all Sasuke needed. When they turned to where is presence was located, they all ended looking up above them. WAY above them. Sasuke brought his hands together and inhaled.

'**_Katon: Karyū Endan!_**'

He reared back and then leaned forward, exhaling, and spewing a white hot beam of flame down upon the unlucky Special Forces. Screams and yells permeated the air as their progenitors were burned to a crisp. Of the total twenty that had appeared, only three remained. Soifon stood in shock. She hadn't even gotten the opening she was hoping would appear. Sasuke landed and looked over his handiwork then looked up to gaze at the four opponents before him.

Soifon nodded to them and they all four attacked. Sasuke didn't even flinch as they began to assault him with a flurry of attacks. One thrust his sword at him, which he spun around on the outside, holding on the man's wrist as he cut the arm off at the shoulder. Switching sword hands, he grabbed the man's face with his right palm and threw him into the second fighter. Neither had time to think before they were both impaled through the chest by Sasuke's katana. Soifon went for an over-head axe-kick but was forced to compromise the move when Sasuke held the katana blade up; had she continued with the attack she would have cut her own foot off on his blade.

Instead, she used her other foot to kick upward, nailing Sasuke in the chin. He flipped in the air and slid back a meter or two. Not even a bruise indicated where she had hit him. Still, he placed his hand to his chin to make sure there wasn't any blood. Retracting his hand and finding none, he looked back at her with a look Soifon couldn't quite decipher. It was a mix between annoyance, slight respect, surprise and curiosity.

She rushed him again, but this time she grabbed his wrists and held him to her. Sasuke's eyes widened and he looked behind him to see the final member of the Special Ops team rushing forward for a horizontal attack that was probably intended to sever his backbone. His eyes narrowed and he smirked.

"**Chidori Nagashi!**" Neither one of the Shinigami expected the attack. Instantly Soifon was thrown back by both the bright light and the stinging agony that sizzled throughout her body. The other was also thrown back with equally as much force. Even as they skidded to a stop, Sasuke's body rippled with electricity and the oh-so-familiar (to him anyway) chirping sounds that accompanied it.

Soifon grunted as she noticed she had lost all feeling in her limbs, and noticed that the lightning attack had been directed at her nerves, while still being an A.o.E. natured attack, or perhaps it was a defense…?

But Sasuke wasn't paying attention to her. Something had caught Sasuke's ears. As his tech began to fade, the sounds of stone and dust settling were accompanied by a yell of pain. However, it was the tune of the sound that had caught his attention. Sasuke lower his arms and walked over the writhing form of the final remaining operative. Sasuke looked at him curiously. The poor figure let loose a blood curdling scream, was far beyond the range of any mature man. Sasuke's eyes widened when he heard it.

He immediately looked at the body more thoroughly; petite body, smooth skin, small, but still noticeable chest, curved figure… Sasuke narrowed his eyes now. With a flash of his sword the mask and bandana of the assailant fell to the ground, revealing deep red hair that had been cut short, about an inch above her shoulders. She continued to writhe in pain on the ground, totally oblivious that Sasuke was standing not a foot from her head.

Sasuke held his sword to her neck.

Soifon was miffed that he had brushed her off so nonchalantly, but was glad to have the moment's distraction to regain feeling in her limbs. _'Just keep him busy with you and I'll be able to move before he gets to me.'_ She silently told her subordinate.

The girl opened her eyes slightly even as she rolled on the ground in excruciating pain (Sasuke was slightly surprised that she was still in pain even after the technique should have faded). Her eyes widened as she saw him holding the blade to her neck. She looked back into those emotionless red eyes; eyes the promised death, and silently begged him to save her from this agony. Sasuke's cold stare narrowed as he saw tears begin to roll from the corners of her eyes.

Sasuke sighed and muttered under his breath. "This is pathetic." He twisted the blade counter-clockwise to hold it horizontally. The girl screamed again as her body was again engulfed in the blue-white energy, as it traveled from her body up into his blade.

He absorbed the electricity and swung his blade to the side, and sheathed it. She stopped her writhing and breathed deeply and painfully. Her eyes were closed again and she opened them only to see the figure bend over her. She felt a sharp pain in her head as she felt herself be picked up roughly by the hair and held up in front of the boy. Sasuke looked at her closely for a moment; her eyes were half shut in pain and pain-shock (after you're hurt like that your body is extremely tired and begins to shut down).

Her arms hung limply at her sides as tears streamed down her face from fear and torment. Sasuke's eyes pierced right through her despite her semi-conscious state. She could feel tears stream from her eyes and down to her chin where they dripped onto her uniform. Despite her dishonorable state, she continued to silently ask the body not to hurt her. Though normally, people would call this hope, but to an Uchiha's eyes, the emotions of another can easily be read through their eyes. This was not hope; this was a plea.

He stood up and held her out at arm's length a good half foot above the ground by her hair. He drew his hand back, ready to impale her with any assortment of weapons he might choose. He could tell the girl was in severe pain, but he didn't care; after what they put Hinata, who he considered a sister, through, this was nothing. But for some reason, when he looked into her eyes, he simply couldn't bring himself to move his arm.

_"…But if revenge is called Justice, then that Justice breeds yet more revenge, and becomes a chain of hatred."_

His eyes widened as he heard the words flow through his head. He instantly lowered his ready-arm in shame, and was about to put the girl down on her feet when he felt her consciousness leave her. _'I guess staying awake that long was all she could do.'_ He was about to drop her when he felt his conscience return to him. _'What would Sakura think if she saw you like this? Didn't you swear you had changed? Didn't she trust you? Would she be proud of you?!'_

"No… I suppose not…" He sighed deeply and threw the poor girl over his shoulder. Soifon realized her chance was slipping and pushed herself up and sped toward his back, preparing to stab him faster than even she could blink.

Fifty meters…

Forty meters…

Thirty…

Twenty…

He still hasn't turned.

Ten….

Five…

Ten feet…

_'NOW!!'_

"DIE!!!" She thrust her arm forward.

It never reached. Where once was the back of a teenage boy, was now the front of a full grown woman. Her dark tanned skin contrasted with her orange shirt, and her purple hair highlighted her lime-yellow eyes. "Long time no see, Soifon."

Soifon's eyes widened considerably when she saw the face of the woman. "Y-Yoruichi!" The woman in question was holding on to Soifon's gauntleted arm not a foot from the boy's back. "Sorry about her, friend, she gets a bit rambunctious sometimes." She said with a smile the boy.

Sasuke glanced at her. "It wasn't necessary. I had the situation well in hand." Yoruichi quirked and eyebrow and looked down at his right hand.

He had it at the left side of his waist, fingers straightened, ready to plunge them into his attacker the moment she was in range… Not a foot from Soifon.

Soifon's eyes widened when she realized that he was prepared for her attack, and she had actually walked into his trap.

She chuckled at him. "Either way, you owe me! And what's with the chick? Spoils of war?"

Sasuke turned his back to her and began to walk away. "Don't be so crass. I'm a married man don't forget."

Yoruichi laughed at his expense. "Sure sure, whatever you say." Right before Sasuke Shunshin-ed away, he called out to his "savior."

"She's your problem now. Don't make me have to kill her." He vanished with a high pitched *zeow* and Yoruichi turned back to an enraged Soifon. "Well, it's not like she can beat me anyways. Right, Soifon?"

* * *

**_Currently_**

Blood splattered to the ground, and ice froze it as soon as they made contact. "Isn't that nice? It may be out of season, but seeing ice this time of year is quite refreshing. Anyway, shall we go, Gin?"

"I knew you'd be here, Aizen-taicho." The brown haired man looed up from where he'd been looking at his true subordinate, after having killed his former vice-captain and fatally injuring Hitsugaya Tōshirō.

"Iie, I suppose I shouldn't call you _captain_ anymore, Aizen Sousuke."

Unohana had walked in just in time to see Tōshirō get slashed through his chest after accusing Aizen of being a traitor, a fact she noted he didn't refute. Isane had regained some movement in her arms, and was now standing behind and slight to the side of her captain.

"Domo, Unohana-taicho. I knew that if you were to come, it would be about now. Did you know that I've been here the entire time?"

"Of course." A new voice interceded. All of the four (conscious) people in the room turned to see who it was that had also figured out the truth. From deep in the shadows behind Aizen walked an Akatsuki, but one he had never seen. He had been there for all of the introductions, but this face was new to him. The figure slowly walked into the light and her face was revealed.

She had orange hair tied together in a sort of onion-like bun at the top of the head, with spikes of hair protruding out of it. It was noticeable that her face had an assortment of piercings on it as well; she had one stud above the nose, studs on either side of the neck, a row of studs vertically down each cheek, and though it couldn't be immediately seen, she had two studs on each forearm.

On her forehead was a black headband with a metal plate. The plate was decorated with four vertical lines cut into it and one long horizontal line cutting through the other four across the middle.

Her cloak was the customary Akatsuki cloak, by which the Shinigami had come to associate with the criminal organization. "Oh? And what might your name be?" The girl approached the dais where Aizen was standing, which had formerly been the base of one of the many tower-homes that the now-deceased members of Central 46 would live.

"I am Pain." She offered no other explanation, but simply looked at Aizen.

Aizen looked at her curiously. "You don't look like the Pain that introduced himself to us. Were you disguising yourself this entire time?"

"Iie, only when I met the captains. There was no need afterword."

Pain walked up the cold bodies of both Tōshirō and Hinamori and bent down to check them. Aizen continued to watch her curiously. "It seems like you also knew I would be here. How did you?" Pain stood and looked at him.

Aizen couldn't stop staring at her rippling eyes. They were just so interesting… "When we arrived in Soul Society, my comrades and I, and by that I mean the Akatsuki, had planned on destroying Central 46, which at the time, we believed would throw Soul Society into chaos, if not put us in immediate command over Shinigami forces, essentially giving us the same outcome."

Unohana was surprised to hear this. She hadn't expected them to know so much in so little time. And even then, she was not prepared to hear what this man had to say after.

"In preparation for what was to come, I had one of my subordinates infiltrate the Chamber of Central 46, to give us a strategic look at the layout of the place; if there were any openings that could be exploited and such. However, when my subordinate returned, I had learned that Central 46 had already been killed by someone else. Naturally I had no idea who to suspect. But there was something about you, Aizen-san… something I couldn't quite place. That same day I had my subordinate place a scroll in your room that would invite you to a meeting with me in the Western Gardens; the same night, you were killed."

Aizen smirked at that. Pain continued. "Of course, when I found out the next morning, I had him check over your room to see if anything there was anything that could be salvaged. After all the death of a captain is not a common occurrence, is it?"

Unohana piped up, her curiosity a bit piqued. "How did you find some much about us in such a small amount of time? You were only here for a week before Aizen's 'death.'"

Pain glanced at her for a moment before turning back to Aizen. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Ninja don't tell others 'bout their abilities… or so I've heard." Gin said. Pain nodded. "Anyway, while your death meant that you were likely not the one responsible, it also made me suspicious. After all, you being 'dead' would give you free reign to move about uncontested, within the parameters of course. Call it paranoia, but in the world I come from, one can never be too sure that an enemy is dead. Before I was able to investigate further, there was… an _incident_."

"An incident concerning the young wife of the Namikaze boy, correct?" Pain looked at him and nodded.

Aizen smirked and walked to the bottom of the platform. "Indeed, when I had this all planned out, I hadn't expected for you and yours to be found. Needless to say you were a big question mark in my plans. My intent was to allow confrontation between our kinds to lower your curiosity of us, and subsequently, of me. But was not to reach the point of all out war. I must say, Mayuri's curiosity was certainly unneeded. But even so, the resulting damage from the fighting within Soul Society will essentially bring it to its knees. And no matter how you look at it, I win."

The two loyal Shinigami in the room narrowed their eyes. Pain simply walked past Aizen and Gin, but stopped between him and the other two. "So, Aizen, what now? You've been found."

Aizen smiled warmly, but it was just a ruse, and dang, it's a pretty nice one. "Found? I suppose in a way I have. But the trouble about finding something is that when you do, sometimes, you find that it was better left buried. I must congratulate you all though. Not only where you able to discover what you have, but you've also been excellent pawns." He spread his arms out to indicate all of them. "However, there are two things you have wrong. First is that you thought I was using this place to hide. Second, you thought I used a fake body." Instantly that Aizen slumped over seemingly lifeless, only to see another Aizen right behind it, holding it but the scruff of its captain's haori. The two Shinigami's eyes widened as Pain's narrowed.

"Wh-When…?!" Isane couldn't help but blurt out.

"When? I've been holding it the whole time. I just didn't let you see it 'till now."

"Wha…? How…?!"

_'Genjutsu?'_ Pain instantly thought.

Aizen grinned and nodded to them. "You'll find out soon enough. Watch carefully now…" Each of them peered at the body as Aizen spoke. "**Shatter, Kyōka** **Suigetsu.**" The lifeless body of Aizen shattered, as per the command, and revealed itself to be a Zanpakutō. It had a green hilt and a hexagonal hilt guard. He opened each finger separately and let it drop and imbed itself into the wood floor.

"This is my Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu. Its ability is, complete hypnosis." Isane simply didn't understand anything that was going on at the moment.

"No… You told us that Kyōka Suigetsu is a water-type Zanpakutō, and its ability is to confuse enemies using reflections off of fog and water currents. _That _Is what you told us, Aizen-taicho…" Aizen walked down the dais to the ground right beside Gin. Isane continued as he did so.

"You gathered all of the vice-captains and showed us its ability!"

Aizen made no notion of explaining anything to her and so remained silent.

"…I see…" Retsu Unohana said at last. "That is the 'ritual' for the complete hypnosis."

"That is correct. 'Absolute hypnosis' controls all of the five senses and is able to show the enemy a different size, shape, weight, feeling, and smell of any object or situation. In other words, I can make a fly look like a dragon, or make a swamp look like a field of flowers. And the condition required to enable its ability is to show the enemy the moment of Kyōka Suigetsu's release. All it takes is one glimpse and that person will be under complete hypnosis. And from then on, every time I release Kyōka Suigetsu, they are entranced in total hypnosis."

"Just one glimpse…" Unohana's eyes went wide at the realization.

"It seems that you now realize… Yes; only a glimpse can cause someone to be bound by the technique, meaning that those who cannot see will not be affected by its ability. So that means since the beginning, Tōsen Kaname has been my subordinate."

Without another word Gin threw out a long sash-like cloth that wrapped around himself and his captain in an endless circle. "Allow me to commend you before I go. While you were examining the body, you were able to realize that something was strange even while being completely hypnotized, Unohana-taicho. And also, for your thorough deduction, Akatsuki, you were so close to finding me… Sayonara. I doubt we'll ever meet again."

Isane drew her Zanpakutō and charged forward, but a blinding light from the spinning cloth stopped her in her tracks. When they could all see again, the two traitors were gone. The three remaining individuals stood there, two in shock, one at a loss of what to do. Isane quickly shook her head and focused on finding them.

"_Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain._ **Bakudō no. 58, Kakushitsuijaku****!**" The circle she had drawn on the ground animated and began displaying numbers in a sequential order. "Thirty-one… sixty-four… eighty-three… ninety-seven… I've found them! East 332, North 1566!"

Pain's eyes widened. "Soukyoku Hill…" Without another word the female Pain clapped her hands together and slammed them on the ground. "**Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" A cloud of smoke erupted from around her and when it settled, the Akatsuki had disappeared. Isane looked at the where the Akatsuki had been and mumbled under her breath. "Reverse… summoning?"

Unohana closed her eyes. "I see… Please pinpoint the locations and connect with all the captains and vice-captains and tell them everything we have learned about Aizen and his destination. Also, give information to the Ryoka and New Souls as well." Isane took on a determined face and nodded. "Understood!" Unohana then proceeded to heal both Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Hinamori while Isane began the **Tenteikūra. **

* * *

A swirl of dust and Animal Path stood on Soukyoku Hill. She looked around and saw the traitorous three captains, as well as who she believed was vice-captain Abarai Renji carrying the Shinigami fugitive, Kuchiki Rukia. Gin and Aizen turned to see what had caused the small explosion of smoke and Aizen kept his grin up. He had just begun to draw his sword when Pain had appeared.

"I see. I suppose it was foolish of me to expect you wouldn't be able to follow me. But now you'll just get in my way. I can already tell… You're a dangerous individual, Pain-san."

Pain glared at him. "I don't want to hear that from you, Aizen." Aizen smiled and drew his sword and walked toward the Akatsuki. "Well, then, I suppose to be safe, I should grind you into dust."

"You'll find your hands full with Pain." She brought her hands together and another cloud exploded from around her. A large growling sound reached Aizen's ears and he lifted an eyebrow curiously. The smoke cleared and a giant red wolf stood behind Pain. It had three heads and two small wings on its torso.

"Ho…?" The dog charged forward directly at Aizen, who seemed to teleport behind the wolf and directly in front of Pain. Pain's eyes widened and saw the wolf split in two. Aizen smirked.

"Hn." Pain leapt away but as soon as she landed she felt Aizen behind her. She turned as quickly as she could, only to see Aizen bring his sword down onto her head. The ground cratered and dirt flew into the air.

Gin watched in entertainment as his captain fought the Akatsuki leader, while Tousen simply kept an eye on the others on the hill, so to speak.

As the debris fell to the ground Aizen was shocked to see a hand holding onto his Zanpakutō's blade. The wind picked up and the smoke cleared, revealing an orange haired male, roughly twenty in appearance. His face, like Pain's was full of piercings. And his eyes held the same design. The female was crouched behind him where she had fallen while, he supposed, summoning him like she had the dog and herself. "Ho? Siblings?"

Then he looked and saw four other individuals had appeared along with the second. The one who held his blade gave him an impassioned stare. "We are Pain." Aizen raised his eyebrows at that, but his face didn't change. Then he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I see. You are the same person then… Odd. You shinobi never cease to amaze me."

A black blade extended from Deva Path's other sleeve and he thrust it toward the former captain. Aizen simply pointed his finger and stopped the blade on its end. The other Pains leapt into action.

Gin felt hot breath on his neck and he turned to see the same dog that had been summoned, now multiplied by three, and each one staring at him. "It figures, don't it?" He jumped away as a clawed paw crashed down where he had been standing.

Asura path rushed Tousen before he could think, surprising him and throwing him back with a palm to the chest. The back Shinigami drew his blade and aimed it at the god of war. Asura Path shed its cloak, revealing six arms and saw-blade tail, as well as two extra faces on each side of his head, one with a neutral expression, one with an angry expression, and then its main face with the permanent smile. Sensing this, Tousen's eyes narrowed. He decided not to waste any time on him and jumped forward to attack. His sword strikes were easily met by the android's arms, which appeared to be hard enough to block his attacks.

The Ninth division captain was forced to dodge barrage after barrage of fists which crushed the ground and could probably break even his limbs. He jumped away and slid to a stop. "I didn't think things like you existed. A weapon created to do nothing but destroy… I'm going to bury you, Akatsuki." In response, Asura Path shot into the air like a bullet, faster than even Tousen expected it could.

Ausra path pulled out its first right hand and a whole bunch of missiles attached to cords sprung out. He aimed downward and fired, sending a volley of explosives toward the unprepared captain. Flashes of yellow red and white peppered the surface of the Soukyoku Hill, and even the soldiers of Seireitei could look up and see the explosions from the walls as brief pinpricks of light.

Asura Path landed and peered into the smoke. It ducked and shielded itself with its tail as a volley of metal spikes shot out of the smoke directly at him. It ducked down and the tail took most of the damage, even being pierced by a few of the spikes. The volley ended and Asura Path lifted its head to see Tousen with burn marks over a good portion of his right side.

Tousen huffed as he "gazed" at his opponent. _'His body has been modified to incorporate hidden weapons. My ability to detect reiatsu emissions better than most was the only thing that saved me from that attack. I don't have a choice…'_

He brought his left hand to the ring on Suzumushi's hilt. The ring began to spin and Reiryoku twirled off of it. "**Bankai, Enma Kōrogi.**" The ring grew exponentially and divided into nine other rings. He swung his sword and they flew around Asura Path. A black energy was emitted from the middle of them and expanded to merge with the energy from the other spheres.

Asura Path was startled that it could sense anything. In an instant several cuts appeared on its skin, and he shot a series of missiles in an arc where he thought the attack had come from. He couldn't see or hear the explosions, but he could feel the heat from the attacks.

He waited for a moment before a blade imbedded itself in his neck. He instantly brought two of his left arms to stop the attack from continuing through the entire neck (thank goodness that it's so thick). It aimed its remaining left hand at its immobile opponent and fired its wrist missile out toward him. Just as he fired it, he felt the resistance on the sword nearly release, and immediately after the shot had impacted, whatever it was that it impacted, the pressure returned.

Tousen was sweating as he had almost been forced to let go of the sword to dodge the attack. Fortunately he had sensed it a moment before it had been launched. He swore as he got back up and began to push back on the neck, but he had to jump back when he saw the android swing a few of its other arms at him.

Asura Path realized that his opponent could sense it, but it could not sense him. It jumped back and the six panels on its head opened up and it began to charge energy into it. Its smile widened as it fired it.

* * *

Gin was getting very annoyed with this damn mutt. No matter how many times he cut it, it simply replicated. Gin looked around and saw that two of Pain had engaged Aizen; the one who blocked his sword earlier and one with long orange hair. He noticed that three were left, with the one who summoned the group, and the dog, staying for the most part a bit away from the other two. A though appeared in Gin's head. He had heard of the concept when he had begun watching human animated TV shows.

It was a long shot, but what the hell? It was worth a try. He leapt into the air and spun upside down as he aimed very carefully.

"**Shoot him Dead, Shinso.**"

The blade extended rapidly, aiming for the immobile female. Pain's eyes widened as it saw the approaching sword, but was only able to have Naraka and Preta Paths dodge. Animal Path however, was not so fortunate. Rapidly summoning a giant panda with a shield on its belly, the blade pierced it not a second after. It tore right through. Animal Path's eyes widened just before it was impaled through the head.

Gin grinned and brought the blade back. He smirked in satisfaction when the approaching wolves vanished into thin air. He landed back onto the ground as the two Pains that had dodged lines up to attack him. Both leapt up, but it was away from him. Gin's smiled turned to a frown as he realized by. He quickly spun only to eat a mouthful of dirt as an explosion vaporized the ground around him, and indeed created an irreparable hole in the Hill itself. He glanced over, when he deemed it safe and saw Tousen's Bankai shred itself and fall to the ground.

Tousen himself was worse for wear; his hakama had been burned by the attack, his hair was undone slightly, and his glasses were cracked. He huffed as he glared down the "Warring Demon."

The Asura path suddenly clapped its back two hands together as they tried to stop a speeding blade from skewing it. Gin pushed harder and the blade slipped through its hands and stabbed it through. He smiled again as perhaps the second most dangerous pain fell to the ground. Needless to say, Gin was feeling pretty good about himself right about now.

Human Path reached out to grab Aizen's hand with his own, only to find his missing the next second and gaining several deep wounds across his back. Human Path grunted in pain as he fell to the ground. Deva Path looked at Aizen with disdain.

Aizen's warm smile rarely disappeared from his face, and now was no exception. "Well done so far. But it seems as if your forces have been cut in half, with only one of my own subordinates down. Any way you slice it, we win in the end."

Pain held his left hand out toward the captain. "Your deduction… is incorrect." Aizen felt a sudden pull on his body and in an instant he was flying toward the Akatsuki who stood poised to sick him with those strange black rods. Aizen regained his balance easy and used the momentum to take a slash at the Akatsuki that would normally have taken his head off. Instead, Pain ducked, and kicked upward toward the captain's crotch, which he avoided deftly. Landing behind the Akatsuki, he swung horizontally, only to cut air.

He looked up to see pain floating in the air with his left hand stretched down towards him for an instant.

"**Shinra Tensei.**" The Hill erupted into a column of dust was could clearly be seen around Seireitei. Pain landed with a satisfied thunk. He stood there for a moment before his eyes detected traces of reiatsu directly behind him. He turned just in time to se the captain point at him and his vision darkened. _'What is this?'_

"**Hado no. 90, Kurohitsugi.**"

Aizen watched in satisfaction as the energy rods skewered the Akatsuki within. The coffin of reiryoku vaporized and the body of Pain fell to the ground.

"Whoa! A level nineties spell without the incantation… Sca~ry!"Aizen turned to see Gin standing behind him with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his hakama.

"Iie. I screwed it up. I didn't even achieve a third of the energy required for a full powered attack. Level ninety spells really are hard to control." He turned away from the lanced corpse and walked back toward the immobile Abarai Renji. "I thought you were still fighting two of them. Were they that easy to kill?"

"Nope. As soon as you killed that one, 'dey skedaddled. " Aizen nodded in understanding. The two were joined by a thoroughly toasted Kaname Tousen. His cloths were shredded and burnt, as was his skin, and he was walking with a limp. "Did you defeat your target, Kaname?"

Tousen kneeled down and bowed his head. "Forgive me Aizen-sama. His attacks were wide spread, allowing him to counter my Bankai. Gin was the one who finished him. Again, forgive my incompetence."

Aizen stopped a few feet ahead of the kneeling Tousen. "Its fine, Kaname. As long as they were taken care of... Now then, where were we?" The three captains had come to halt directly in front of Renji and Rukia, both of whom had witnessed devastatingly destructive power wielded by the man called Pain, and yet he had been utterly defeated by Aizen and his cohorts.

Renji hadn't been able to move the entire time. The reiatsu from three captains, and six captain class fighters made air on the entire hill too thick to move through; almost too thick to breath. He was sweating profusely by this time. "Ahh, yes. Put down Kuchiki Rukia and leave."

Renji began to regain some of his former confidence and gave the best tough face he could. "I refuse!"

"What was that?"

"I said I refuse, Aizen-taicho."

"…I see." Even as he spoke, Gin reached for his Zanpakutō, but was stopped by a wave of his captain's hand. "It's ok, Gin. You're stubborn Abarai-kun. If you don't want to leave Kuchiki Rukia and stand down, then it cannot be helped." He took a few steps toward the duo. "I'll be thoughtful and allow you to carry Kuchiki Rukia…" He drew his Zanpakutō as he approached. "Leave your arms and stand down."

* * *

"Nagato, what's wrong?" Konan asked her red haired friend (well, perhaps friend is too weak). Nagato looked at his childhood ally and narrowed his eyes. "Only Naraka Path and Preta Path are left."

Konan sighed. "At least Naraka survived. The other bodies can be resurrected. This Aizen must be something to have defeated the Six Paths of Pain by himself. I must say I'm surprised Soul Society decided to give us that information…"

Nagato continued to walk down to corridor. "It's because they want us to eliminate a threat to them, and create the illusion that helping them will allow as some sort of forgiveness for the war they started." Konan followed him.

"Then perhaps we should be helping this Aizen, right?"

"No."

"No?"

Nagato shifted his hair so he could see better. "Aizen has manipulated the Shinigami since long before we arrived. It's only safe to say he would do the same to us." Nagato's eyes widened and he stopped suddenly.

"What is it Nagato?" Nagato's eyes narrowed almost instantly. "Hurry Konan, we have no time to waste!" He vanished into the sky as did she only a moment later. Whatever Nagato had picked up, it obviously wasn't good.

* * *

Rukia's mind was either in overload or in shut down. Probably safe to say a mix of both. Renji is probably dead, Ichigo is nearly dead after nearly being bisected, and her only allies won't get to her before Aizen gets what he wants. Rukia had just learned that Urahara had used her to hide something called the Hogyoku, a device that erases the lines between Hollows and Shinigami. She was barely listening to what he said anymore though, but she also couldn't help but understand what he said.

"…Of course, since he was the one to develop implanting objects into souls, then he would have also found a way to reverse it." He pulled out a small pink tube and clicked a button on it. Instantly a series of green spikes erupted from the ground, and Aizen's hand resembled the texture and energy resonance of the spikes themselves. "This... is that answer." He lifted Rukia up and stabbed her in the chest with the same hand. He felt around for a moment before he felt something foreign within the soul's reishi structure. He smiled and pulled it out, letting Rukia's body drop to the ground.

"This is surprising. I didn't think it would be so small… This is the **Hogyoku**…" He noticed some movement and looked down to see the hole in the girls chest close up. "Oh, the konpaku (soul) itself isn't harmed… What amazing technology. But it's too bad you are now _useless_." He replaced the device and the Hogyoku in his hakama and picked Rukia up by her collar and hold her out. "Kill her, Gin."

"Allrighty." He said as he drew his Zanpakutō. "**Shoot her dead, Shinso**" He swung the blade out, then it shot forward to stab Rukia, but just as it is about to hit her, she disappears from Aizen's hand.

Aizen rolled his eyes to the side to see Byakuya Kuchiki. Holding his adopted sister with Shinso buried in his heart cavity. Gin frowned and withdrew his sword. Byakuya fell to his knees not long after the sword was removed. "N, nii-sama… why…? Why for me?! Why nii-sama… nii-sama… nii-sama!!" even as she cradled her injured brother, Aizen turned back to her with a dark scowl buried on her face. He approached the two with a calculated air about him. Rukia saw this and held her brother's head to her chest, as if she could protect him. Aizen's smiles returned and he placed his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

As he gets ready to draw it, he stops and looks off into the distance across the Hill to the overview of Soul Society. Gin and Tousen also looked, but neither saw anything. But then, they _felt it_. Aizen's eyebrows quirked as a large red beam shot into the sky on the other end of the Hill. He watched it ascend to the heavens and then suddenly _de_scend. The beam impacted the ground at Aizen's feet, but it didn't explode like he had expected. It seemed… almost as if it were… an _anchor_ of some kind. He looked back up to see a blond haired man rocketing toward him, arm outstretched. Aizen leapt back as the man impacted.

The man stood in the crater he had created and glared many sharp objects at the Fifth division captain. His eyes were blood red and with an animalistic slit-pupil in each. "Omo-shiroi. I hadn't expected you to appear."

The man was coated in a bubbling red energy with three tails apparent on it. **"You… You're gonna wish that the devil was the one killing you by the time I'm done!!"**

"Namikaze Naruto… a pleasure to see you too." Aizen said with his trademark smile. He blinked, and Naruto was gone. His eyes widened as he felt the energy to his left, and saw the monstrosity flying at him at breakneck speeds, his arms back ready to shred. He slashed at him only for him to wrap his fingers around the blade with both hands and swing over top of it to kick the captain in the face. Aizen sighed and shook him off by simply grabbing his leg and throwing him to the ground. "Why Naruto-kun, that was rather rude of you. You interrupted me."

Naruto growled low from his throat. **"You're the cause behind ALL of this!! I don't care what your agenda is, but it's your fault were here, YOUR fault! ALL OF IT!!!!" **

He charged again. And slashed at Aizen's figure, only to shred air. Naruto blinked and held his right palm out and grabbed the blade that seemed to come out of thin air. Aizen's eyes widened in surprise. _'He saw through Kyoka Suigetsu? No, it's flawless, I'm positive.'_

He elbowed the fox-boy in the face and knocked him off balance. By the time Naruto's eyes turned back to his target, Aizen was gone. His eyes widened. He jumped back and ducked as Aizen appeared and disappeared around him. What amazed Aizen was that he ignored the fake Aizens that flashed around him and seemed to know exactly where he would strike. _'It doesn't look like he can see me, so he must have some kind of sixth sense that tells him where danger is located in a general proximity to himself.'_

Aizen furrowed his brows. _'Let's test that.'_ He Shunpo-ed behind the boy and raised his sword to strike, but instantly Shunpo-ed again in front of the boy, even as he turned to face the older threat that was no longer there. Aizen brought his blade down and slashed through the boy's back.

He screamed in pain and rage, stumbled slightly and turned back to Aizen's general direction. _'Perhaps I'm wrong. If he had a sixth sense, it would have notified him where the real attack was going to be.'_

At that moment Gin and Tousen both jumped in and began attack the boy. Well, Gin did, Tousen stayed back to council with his superior. "Aizen-sama, can you sense it? There is another here." Aizen looked at Kaname in an indifferent pose. "Are you sure Kaname?"

He nodded. "You might not be able to sense it because of the reiatsu the boy is giving off, but there is another nearby."

Aizen gave Kaname a look that he, despite being blind understood. He pointed in a direction and Aizen went off to investigate. _'This is the first time anyone has ever come close to even dodging Kyōka Suigetsu. I hate to waste time right now, but then, I always have the other route out… Yes I can spare time for this.'_

He approached a small outcropping of rocks that had been created by the Sixth division captain's and Ryoka powerhouse's fight. He stopped a good twenty feet from the rocks and focused. Indeed, siphoning through the boys reiatsu to search was definitely difficult, but not impossible. And there it was… "Come on out of there. There's no point in hiding from me."

He waited a moment before a young girl walked from in-between two larger stones. She presented herself as fiercely as she could, but Aizen saw that she was very hesitant. "How sad…" he said with mock sympathy. "Namikaze Hinata, if I'm not mistaken. A pleasure to meet you." The girl glared back at him with her pail eyes.

But something was off about them. The veins around the eyes themselves were bulging, and he could tell that the eye itself was bulging slightly. "Channeling reiryoku into your eyes seems to help you spot me somehow, but that's dangerous girl. You'll quickly go blind if you stain yourself."

She placed herself into a ready stance for some sort of fighting style. "Naruto-kun will beat you, Azien-san; that is a guaranteed fact."

"But can he do it without your help?" Hinata's eyes narrowed as he said that. "Oh? So I was right. You're communicating with him somehow as to my position. I'm afraid I can't have that."

_'I shouldn't bother with the illusions, she won't fall for them. Hmm, yes that will work nicely…"_

She charged him and he sidestepped her easily, but found she seemed to keep up with him wherever he moved. Swinging his sword at her, he found that she simply deflected them with her hands. "HAA!!!" She threw a palm thrust toward him, but met empty air. Her eyes went wide as she slowly turned around.

"You have nice reflexes, and a special gift it seems. But, you lack one thing necessary for being a combatant. Speed." He vanished from her sight, and then she saw nothing at all, she only felt pain. "AAHHHHH!!!!"

Naruto instantly turned around to see Hinata clutching her eyes and blood dripping off her face.

**"Hinata!!" **

He was unprepared to be stabbed twice through the chest and pinned down on the ground. He growled in pain, but he clawed the ground trying to get to his injured Hinata. Tousen and Gin both kept him pinned while avoiding his thrashing tails.

Aizen grinned down at the kneeling girl. "Those eyes will cause me problems if I don't get rid of them. But then, I guess it would probably be best to cut the problem off at its source."

Hinata raised her head ever so slightly in fear. She had her eyes shut and blood was seeping from in between her eyelids. "Don't take this personally, girl." He prepared to stab Hinata through the head as he reared back.

**"NOOOO!!!!!!"**

Aizen thrust forward. The blade met flesh, and blood dripped to the ground. Blood dripped from Hinata's face. She didn't move. Naruto either, as he was too stunned to move, too in shock.

Aizen's eyebrows rose. "That was unexpected."

"Kukukuku… of course it was." The deep voice reached everyone's ears at the same time. His long black hair blew in the wind and revealed his pale skin. The grin that split his face opened and a long tongue slithered out and licked his lips before returning to its cave. The man's piercing yellow eyes were narrowed in amusement.

Naruto could barely speak. **"O-Orochimaru… You-?!"**

"What? You didn't know either, Naruto-kun? I thought you of all people would have expected this."

Aizen's glasses reflected the sheen of the sun. "How strange, to take an attack meant for someone else so unflinchingly. It would have more productive to simply deflect it."

Orochimaru stood there like a stone pillar; the sword stuck through his gut and stopped only a few inches from Hinata's brain. Orochimaru's smile faded as he looked at Aizen.

"She's had enough trauma for one week, don't you think? Back off." He grabbed Aizen's wrist and inhaled. Aizen's eyes widened ever so slightly when he opened his mouth and a sword blade extended toward him. The sword stabbed him, only for him to vanish in the blink of an eye. _'Another illusion…'_ His tongue was wrapped around the handle of the sword and he dropped it into the palm of his hand. He glanced over at the immobilized Naruto and aimed his sword at the grinning captain. The sword extended at breakneck speeds toward him.

Gin's eyes widened, but didn't open. He withdrew his blade from Naruto and shot his out to meet the opposing blade both wielders swung to the side and the blades clashed with each other. Orochimaru brought Kusanagi up and swung to the side, sending a large arced swing toward the similar styled captain. Gin ducked under and slashed similarly at the snake like man cutting him in half down the shoulder and out the waist.

The body melted into mud, which shot like bullets out toward Gin, forcing him to retract his sword to slash the small missiles from the air before the hit him. Not a moment after he was done, a crumbling sound came from behind him. Orochimaru emerged from the ground and stabbed toward Ichimaru.

The Third squad captain slashed the attack away and met Orochimaru's charge head on. Both of them gripped the other's sword arm buy the wrist. Orochimaru smirked and opened his mouth, far wider than any normal human could. Gin grunted in surprise as a sea of snakes flooded out and shot straight toward him with unnatural speeds. He slid to a stop and each snake produced a sword out of their mouths as they slithers toward him eerily fast, climbing on top of each other until there were thousands of them racing toward him like a wave.

"**Bakudō no. 81, Danku.**" The wall of snakes smashed into a near invisible wall and continued to press against it and climb on top of each other to get over it. Gin stretched his hand out and murmured, "**Hado no 33,** **Sōkatsui****.**"

A wall of blue light erupted from his fingers and broke through the other side of the wall and vaporized the snakes. Even as the burnt remains settled to the ground, a jet of dark blue flames blasted at the former captain. Gin leapt up to avoid it as it scorched the ground and turned whatever was left of the snake tsunami into ash.

He landed and instantly felt the Sannin's presence slightly behind him. He spun his head quickly and saw the Orochimaru lower his blade to strike the captain. Gin smirked as Orochimaru's back spewed blood across the ground. Behind Orochimaru stood Aizen, his Zanpakutō coated in blood. Orochimaru stumbled forward for a moment but straightened up almost instantly. He turned his head to the side to smirk at the brown haired man.

"My my… What a shinobi you would make, Shinigami. Your genjutsu abilities are powerful indeed. I would love to have them as my own." His tongue slipped out and slid around his mouth. That tongue then shot out and attempted to wrap around the captains neck, only to be sliced off by the Tousen as he stood between Orochimaru and his superior.

Orochimaru groaned in pain and flicked the stump of his tongue at them, spraying blood toward them. _'**Kekkeishō!**'_

The blood drops spun themselves into deadly needles and peppered the captain before he could blink. Orochimaru retracted his tongue back into his mouth and swished it around inside, spitting out a glob of blood only a moment later. He felt pain as Gin's sword ejected through his other side. Orochimaru looked down and saw the blade had pierced his heart from behind.

"A good show, but insufficient, Shinobi. I congratulate you though; despite receiving several wounds, some of them fatal, you fought us with skill and control. Well done."

Orochimaru frowned and shook his head, holding it in his left hand. "When will you Shinigami learn? Before you start gloating, at least make sure your opponent is at least _actually going to die-_"

All four of them were silenced by a beam of red energy that ripped the ground apart and blasted a good sized furrow into the ground and shot off to end its travel in the outskirts of Seireitei. The three captains slid away and Orochimaru slid away on the opposite side as them. Naruto roared at them, blood spurting from his mouth. Aizen looked at him curiously. For a moment he could almost see the boy's skin ripping apart to reveal the muscles beneath. The he realize, it was.

But it wasn't muscle. He could see black and white red energy travel across it shed from him like a snake. His eyes were completely blood red. He growled in pain and anger as he looked down at his hands. He was crouched down and on his knees. His eyes furrowed and her roared into the air. "What's this? …Hollow energy?" Naruto held his head and shouted to the sky. His skin ripped off of him and vaporized against the shroud encompassing him. Orochimaru's eyes widened and he instantly leapt away, knowing that even he wasn't safe from _this _Naruto. Blood began to drip, surprisingly, _up_ only to meet the same fate as his skin had as it hit the air, only this time, they turned to a type of liquid ash and swirled around him until he was surrounded by a black sphere. Smoke rose from the sphere in a small, but long plume that rose to the clouds.

* * *

**_Five minute ago…_**

Itachi looked back to the execution grounds and his eye narrowed. "So that's it…" Shunsui and Joushiro each felt their backs stiffen. "…Impossible… Aizen… betrayed us?!" Yamamoto likewise looked toward the execution grounds.

Shunsui looked back to his sensei and smirked. "Well it seems like we have a pretty serious problem. Should we really be doing this right now, Yama-ji?" Yamamoto stood silent for a moment and looked toward his students and then to Itachi and the monster of a technique shrouding him, which was looking right at him. Itachi turned his head back to him from the Hill slightly to meet his gaze. After a long moment, Yamamoto extinguished his flames and sheathed his sword.

Ukitake and Shunsui both sighed in relief and they too sheathed their swords. However Itachi did not. Hi gripped his pseudo-Zanpakutō in his hand and he glared murderously at the other three.

"Itachi-san…" Itachi looked at Shunsui, who had been the one to speak. He tipped his hat up and with a smile said, "_'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?'_ "

Though it was a a good quote, it was also a question. Itachi understood that he was asking him to put aside their differences to help fight a bigger threat. "…How is this Aizen my enemy?"

Ukitake saw a spark of hope and quickly interjected. "If Aizen really is a traitor, then its possible he could have influenced Mayuri to do what he did, knowing it would spark a conflict and weaken our forces. He could be the reason behind all of this!"

"That thought did not escape my mind as well, but what if he isn't? Would not I have everything to gain by him getting what he wants?"

"What if that 'something' is one of you?"

Itachi stood silent for a moment. All three watched with bated breath as the Akatsuki again looked out toward the Hill. He suddenly turned back to Shunsui, and nodded. "Hai." SHusui smiled in relief, he knew it was the answer to his question. The massive spirit warior dissipated layer by layer; first the cloths and armor, then the skin and muscles and finally the bones themselves. Itachi closed his eyes and the black flames around him vanished in seconds. When he opened them again, they were cinder. His PZ (pseudo-Zanpakutō) glowed for less than a moment before returning to its steel grey appearance. He returned it to a scabbard on the back of his waist.

He turn away from them and faced the Hill and begin walking. The most shocking thing he did was to stretch out his right hand and reishi (spirit particles) gathered around it and stretched down his arm. Even as it turned black, it continued until it covered a majority of his body. Then it stopped and colored itself into black and red; his Akatsuki cloak had been created out of thin air. At least, that's what it looked like. Shinigami knew that he merely attracted and controlled the reishi around him to form the cloak, which still stunned them. Shinigami lacked the control of reishi that other spirit using beings, like the Quincy were so capable of doing.

He snapped it up in the front and adjusted the sleeves. "Let's go." He spoke without turning, before vanishing in a zip of sound and flicker of light. The other three vanished in a similar, but different style and vanished, speeding after him.

* * *

**_Currently…_**

Itachi stopped suddenly, his eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. The other three stopped as well. "What is it Itachi-san?" Ukitake asked, worriedly. Itachi stayed silent for a moment. "…We should stay here for the time being."

Ukitake looked surprised. "Why? What's wrong?" His questions were answer in a flash of red light that shot from the Hill and off into Seireitei. All three pairs of eyes widened as they recognized the signature Cero used by all Menos, Gillian and up.

"It seems like he no longer cares for his own restraints…"

Ukitake's eyes widened. "W-Was that a… a _Hollow's_ reiatsu just now?!"

Yamamoto was also curious, but his face didn't show it. _'It's true, it feels like a Hollow, but to have gotten so deep into Seireitei without detection is virtually impossible, even with the conflicts going on. Besides, this feels a bit different… definitely Hollow, but definitely different.'_

Itachi smirked slightly despite his serious face. "Heh, Hollow… I'll have to ask him about that… Yamamoto-san, as much as it feels like a Hollow, it is our friend that is emitting this reiatsu, and in this state, he'll attack anything and everything. Well… _almost _everything." He muttered the last part to himself.

"I'd suggest we move carefully from here on." He said before vanishing again, the other three in tow. A moment later an explosion could be seen and soon felt as it created a massive shockwave that ripped trees out by the roots and flattened stone slabs to the ground

* * *

Aizen shielded his face with his arm as the reiryoku induced wind whipped at his haori. He gently lowered his arm and saw the reason for the shockwave. "What is that?" he asked curiously. The beast was pure blood red with black stripes appearing and disappearing all over its body. Its maw opened slowly and inhuman grumble could be heard. Its four swishing tails swayed back and forth in glee. It sat back on its haunches and let loose a massive roar that could be heard all the way across Seireitei. It got back down to its four "paws" and vanished.

Gin instantly looked left as a red paw slashed at him. He raised Shinso to defend was surprised when the attack smashed him back and into the ground. Aizen disappeared and reappeared behind the beast. Red liquid spurted all over the body, but it merely roared and turned back the bespectacled man. Its left paw swung around and slashed its clawed fingers at him. Aizen brought both hands up to defend the attack, on for a another arm to separate from the immobile one and swing at his undefended chest. It met flesh and clawed its way through his chest, ripping organs from their place.

The beast grinned manically as the body fell to the ground. Its eyes widened, however, when it felt another blade slide across its throat. Aizen's eye widened and jumped back as the "dead" illusion vanished. _'I can't pierce its skin!'_

His eyes widened again when he felt many incoming reiatsu signatures.

He looked around and saw figure after figure appear on the hill. Characters in red and black cloaks gave the creature wide berth and the Shinigami present were all directed at him. "…Gin, Kaname. It's time we made our leave." The Shinigami had no time to react before three beams of golden light surrounded each captain.

The lights led up to the sky, or rather a tear in the sky, from which poured nearly a dozen Gillian-class Menos. Even as the Shinigami looked on in shock, the three traitors rose into the sky, standing on earth that had literally been ripped from the ground.

Suigetsu looked up at the retreating Aizen and held his sword back, ready to heave it into the air like a giant shuriken. He was about to launch it when he heard the over-aged captain say otherwise. He looked at him curiously.

"That light is called **Negación. **Menos use it when trying to save their own. Anyone who's ever fought a Menos knows; once that light descended upon him, Aizen became untouchable."

"You've even joined up with the Menos. Why?"

Aizen looked down at Ukitake

"To seek new heights."

"Have you fallen to the ground?"

Aizen glared down at the white haired captain. "Your arrogance is unnecessary, Ukitake. Since the beginning, there was no one standing in Heaven. Not you, not me, not anyone else; not even God. But now..." He took off his glasses and ran hand through his hair, slicking it back and allowing a few strands to fall between his eyes and slide to his left cheek, and its color went from dark brown to a light brown color. His glasses shattered into pieces even as he held it. "From now on, I will stand in Heaven."

"You? How can one such as you ever hope to sit on the throne of God?" Aizen's eye lids opened slightly as the familiar voice spoke out from the crowd. He searched the large group until he saw six figures approach, six figures that shouldn't even be able to move. The Six Paths of Pain each walked up with Deva Path looking straight at Aizen and narrowed his rippled eyes at him. "The man who dared defy God... Very well then, I accept your challenge."

Aizen narrowed his eyes at him. Each of the Akatsuki were completely undamaged, even the one who had just spoken, whom he knew he had hit with **Kurohitsugi**. Even if it was at less than 30% power, it would have been enough to obliterate the man. In fact, he had seen it happen. He _should _have been little pieces right now. They were all in pristine condition, not soiled in the least.

"You souls… You amaze me to no end. Especially you, Pain. Tell me, _who are you_ exactly?"

Pain's Rinnegan eyes widened as he stretched his arms out. "We are Pain. We are _God_!"

Aizen never got a chance to retort. A white beam of energy sped at him, only for it to pass right through the golden reiryoku that enveloped him. The white sphere continued its skyward journey until it exploded against the dome of Seireitei. The explosion nearly blinded everyone there. Aizen looked back to see the red demon growling at him. Aizen watched as more energy poured out of the skin, forming a fifth tail. He smirked.

"I bid you all ado. Farewell Shinigami. And farewell Ryoka boy; for a human, you were very entertaining."

The portal closed and the Shinigami stood stalwart and stunned. A roar from behind them alerted them to the immediate danger. Soifon glowered at the creature. "Damn it, he had to leave a Hollow here to deal with, didn't he?" she raised her Zanpakutō but was beat to it as every New Soul had already leapt into the air directly at it. The Shinigami's eyes widened as they saw the New Souls form up into apparently predefined battle formations. Suigetsu swung his sword down, only to have it caught by the right hand of the creature.

It opened its maw and Suigetsu mentally cursed as he was vaporized by white light. Itachi leaped into the air and drew out a circle around Kyuubi-fied Naruto with Amaterasu. Kisame threw a punch to the face of Naruto and planted his sword in front of him, blocking his path. He was knocked away harshly by two of the tails.

The red haired Sasori spewed a purple cloud of smoke out of his mouth at the Kyuubi, intent on disabling him with poison. Hidan threw his scythe at the red clad monster, but as it slashed at him, it drew only blood red energy, not blood itself, for which he swore in annoyance.

Kakuzu Shunshin-ed above him and twisted to throw a heavy punch at his head. It connected and shattered the ground with his insane strength. Hidan laughed at the Kyuubi, but was cut short when he was pulled by the cord he was holding and saw that the Kyuubi was still very much aware.

"Fuck!!" He swore as a clawed paw gutted him and cut through his chest. He flew back and slid onto the ground, bleeding terribly from his wounds, he continued a blue-streak even as the others continued to fight him. Kakuzu shot into the air followed by a giant red paw, fired like a bullet at him. It connected and threw him high into the air.

Kyuubi bellowed outward and charged up one of its most devastating attacks; the **Imari**. The energy was gathered around its tails and was directed toward its mouth, forming a sphere of concentrated power. Pain made a move to subdue it, using **Shinra Tensei** to blast Kyuubi away. Unfortunately enough, Kyuubi managed to sustain its **Imari**. It grinned manically and its blinding white eyes narrowed.

* * *

_Power… More power. Kill. Hurt. They hurt me. They hurt her. I'll kill them. Must… escape… pain._

Its white eyes spied the familiar, but opposing, figures of its "friends" as they tried to stop it. No, they were the boy's friends, not its.

_Away. Move. Kill… Shinigami. Kill… Gods._

_Kill… Death. Chaos… Pain… Must cause chaos. Must give pain._

_For her... _

_For her… I will… _

_Kill._

It gazed at the soon to be ashes of its enemies. If it could cry it would have, but any tears that did appear evaporated into nothing. It let loose a massive battle roar as it prepared to fire.

_This… _

_This is…_

_For her._

* * *

Each of their eyes widened as Kyuubi screamed to the air and prepared to fire its **Imari**. Pain prepared to shield everyone with Shinra Tensei, and those that could were already running away and preparing defensive techniques, or in some cases Attack techniques that could equal out the power.

None of them were completed.

None of them needed to be.

A large white sphere dropped from the sky directly on top of Kyuubi, and everyone was able to see the very distinct cartoonish face modeled on it. As soon as it touched the burning energy that surrounded Naruto, it exploded, showering flames, debris and other miscellaneous crud everywhere.

Deidara whooped as he hovered over head. "Hell yeah! Got 'em in one!"

He was silenced when a roar resounded from the cloud of smoke.

Out of it, the sphere of energy shot into the sky and exploded, melting the bird Deidara was flying on and almost melting him. Unfortunately, the attack made his bird self-detonate and the explosion threw Deidara off and into the ground.

Kyuubi turned back to his "allies" and growled dangerously at them.

Everyone's eyes widened as Kyuubi roared and reeled back in pain. Even as it held its head in pain, it seemed to calm down and drop onto all fours. Its gaze looked over toward where a young woman lay on the ground, her eyes closed and bloody as well as most of her face. Its eyes were wide as the girl reached out a hand toward it.

It crawled over to her, the New Souls giving it room to walk. The Shinigami were prepared to do what was needed, but hesitated as it seemed to be calming down, whatever this Hollow was. Better to kill it when it's calm than angry.

The girl's fingers opened and closed over and over again, as if reaching for something that wasn't there. Kyuubi got to her and slowly reached out its own arm, their fingers brushed, and the red energy began to recede from the forearm. The energy revealed a hand; a human hand, whose fingers reached out and gripped those of the girls. The girl seemed to react to the touch.

The Shinigami all went wide eyed as they saw the hand. More and more of the red vanished and more and more of the person was revealed. The visage of the five tailed fox gave way to the familiar blond shinobi as he placed his hand below his love's head and kneeled down to cradle her.

The other New Souls al breathed a sigh of relief and some sat down from weariness. Others simply stood and watched as the blond cried over the poor girl. In fact, _all_ of the people on the Hill looked at them with mixed emotions and questions.

Ukitake looked at his sensei, and their eyes met; the question need not be spoken.

* * *

**A/N: Well, like I said, I'm not realy happy about this chapter, but I think the fight scenes were good. Its the non-fighting scenes that i think realy stunk. Oh well, the next chapter should be a bit better. Well, the end of the Present. **

**On to the Future...**

**I'd like to know if this chapter was anygood or not, so if you would your reviews will be loved. (Chapter 15 is coming soon. I mean it this time!!)**


	15. Chapter 15: The Future

**A/N: I. Am. Never. Saying. It's. Coming. Soon. Again. **

**Period.**

**Seriously, every time I say it's coming soon, it only takes longer for me to finish it! So from now on, im not ever going to make that promise. Nope! Not never! Wait... That was a double negative... . .**

**Anyway, i do have a few excuses though: I now have a girlfriend! WOHOOOO!!!! First one too! And she takes up a good portion of my time. Not to mention school had been a cruel mistress. -_- So yeah... thats been a pain. And for the record, I know! The last chapter sucked. Im not so sure about this one either. I liked the ending, but the beginning was iffy to me. I was just like "Ehh..." and thougth it was good enough. But hey, maybe im worng, maybe im just being overcritical on myself. You tell me.**

**Speaking of which!**

**I'd like to thank:**

SuperiorShortness, Neko-Graphic, Anon (2), Alehhandro, The Laughing Pheonix **(Whom i dsicovered was actualy a girl the entir time O.O)**, Rafe & Adrian, zentary, Dfletcherboyy, skepsis66, Dude4515, Hikari-hime8, Kage Bijuu, Soraya the All Speaker, dreamhunter501, Tashio, Ryuu no kage, **and** fiery** for their reviews! They realy help! So anyway, now I give you...**

**_

* * *

_**

_**Chapter 15: The Future**_

Naruto rocked Hinata gently as he held her close to his chest. He kissed her forehead again and again, despite the blood that had splattered on it and consequently gotten on his mouth and face. Hinata's bloodied fingers were clenched in his jacket, and she buried her face in his chest. She made no sound as they did so; no words could be spoken. After a few minutes, Naruto raised her head to face him. She complied and allowed him to examine her. He tore off a piece of his pant leg and wrapped it around her eyes, being sure not to put too much pressure on them, but still enough to stop the bleeding.

Pain looked saddened and one of them stepped forward to them. Naruto looked up and saw the face of Naraka Path kneeled down to both of them with a sad face. Naraka Path sighed and held out a hand to the two of them. Naruto took it and was helped up, and He carried Hinata on the other arm. As soon as they were up, he picked Hinata up bridal style, and she rested her head against him. She knew that if she were to cry, it would hurt because of the salt within her tears, so she held them back. Naruto however, looked as if he was about to cry.

It was at this moment that the Shinigami decided to get to work, treating their wounds, cleaning up, etc. Several Fourth division members had arrived when they found the area safe.

The next few minutes were helter-skelter as they ran about, tending to the separate injuries each person there had. The sun had begun to set as the rest of the captains arrived at the battle zone and surveyed the area.

Komamura was saddened and angered that Tousen had betrayed them, believing his friend to have been lying all the time about his "justice". Kenpachi arrived only to drop off Karin. It was the least he could do; during his brief bout with the blind Shinigami, she had used her ability to see through the captain's senses and relay that information back to Zaraki, allowing him to fight more on-par with his enemy. Normally he would have shrugged off the help and told her not to interfere, but that Tousen fought dirty, so he didn't mind a little leveling of the playing field.

Karin immediately went over to Suigetsu who was hovering over Naruto and Hinata, as most of the shinobi were doing. Those that didn't went around observing the battlefield. Suigetsu was doing his best to clean out her eyes of the blood that was trapped inside by seeping his water body in between her eyelids and pulling out the blood. Karin laid a hand on his shoulder and he nearly jumped; he was so in to his task he didn't notice her approach. He smiled at her and went back to work.

Konan arrived soon after and saw the degenerate state the Hill was in. she quickly went over to the focus of attention, chiefly being Naruto and Hinata.

Several Shinigami medics had offered to treat her, but they all got death glares by the other shinobi that quickly sent them packing.

Konan watched for a moment before leaning over and whispering into Human Path's ear. His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion and then widened in realization. Why hadn't he thought of that? Naraka Path walked forward and opened his arms to Naruto and Hinata. Naruto's eyes also widened as he realized what he wanted to do. He looked from Hinata to Naraka, then back to Hinata. Suigetsu retracted his liquid limbs and spit her blood from his palms. Onto the ground. Naruto finally nodded to him and help Hinata out to him.

Hinata noticed the shifting and turned her head to where she felt Naruto was.

"Don't worry Hinata; you're going to be fine. Trust me." He offered her.

Naraka took her in his arms and gently carried over to an open space in the crowd of people. The unoccupied, and yes, even the occupied ones turned to watch as they felt a massive burst of reiatsu. Oddly enough nothing happened, but the shinobi knew better. Each of them had seen the King of Hell in action at least once. The robed head phased from the ground and opened its gaping maw. Out came two slimy looking hands and took Hinata from Naraka Path's arms, drawing her inside its mouth.

It closed its mouth and began to chew. Naruto winced as he could see it despite its natural invisibility, and every time it chomped down he shivered, despite knowing it was doing anything _but_ hurting his love.

To the Shinigami it was another matter; all they saw was the spiky-orange haired Akatsuki hold the girl out, and then to see her float away for a few second before vanishing. The all gasped as the reiatsu increased.

Deva Path laid a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder and nodded to him, before turning back to the King of Hell. Eventually it stopped its chewing and opened its mouth. From the darkness emerged Hinata, blindfolded and being helped out by the same two arms that had carried her in. She carefully stepped over the lower jaw of the King and stepped out. Naraka Path took her hand to steady her as Naruto ran over. He quickly took Hinata by the arms and held her tightly, then slowly lifted the blindfold from her eyes.

She hesitantly opened them, and squinted as her eyes adjusted. Naruto smiled and hugged her as he saw her perfect lavender eyes shining and undamaged. She was startled by the hug for a second but she hugged him back. "Thank God… Hinata, your ok!" He separated but kept his hands gripped to her biceps. She raised her arms to his waist and held him there. She smiled and nodded.

"Hai. I'm perfectly fine now. Thank you Nagato-san." She turned and bowed to Deva Path. He chuckled and waved off the formality. "No need to thank me, Hinata-san. It's the least I could do. Konan actually gave me the idea. I hadn't actually thought of using it on other non-Rinnegan users, but it seems to work perfectly anyway."

Hinata remembered something and broke away from Naruto, looking amongst the crowd of friends. Naruto was about to ask what she was looking for when she started jogging off to the edge of the Soukyoku Hill. Naruto was quick to follow her, thoroughly confused.

When she arrived, she saw a solitary figure standing there. He was coated in blood from nearly head to toe. He stood stalwart as the wind lifted his hair and his cloths to its sway. He seemed to sense her presence and turned, surprised to see her.

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized it was Orochimaru Hinata was looking for. She stopped in front of him and he turned to face her with a surprised face. She walked up to him and bowed. "Thank you, Orochimaru-san, for protecting me. If it weren't for you, I probably would be dead right now. For that you have my deepest thanks."

Orochimaru's eyes widened and he took a step back and looked around, clearly not expecting a thank you from her of all people. "Um, y-your welcome, Hinata-…" He bowed and said before trailing off, unsure of how to address her. She giggled and lifted him up. "You can just call me Hinata." She walked back to Naruto who looked as equally shocked as Orochimaru was. As she walked back to him, he looked down dejectedly and walked forward slowly. Orochimaru tensed, expecting an attack or verbal fight, as they usually had when they were this close to each other.

Naruto stood that way for a moment before also bowing. "You have my thanks, Orochimaru. You saved Hinata's life. I guess I owe you one."

Orochimaru was about ready to faint comically, but walked forward and poked Naruto in the arm a few times. "I'm not dreaming am I? This is real?" Naruto got up and looked slightly annoyed. "Yes, yes it's real. But don't get used to it. You saved her life and I'm thanking you; that's all."

Of course that was a lie. The fact that Orochimaru had gone out of his way to protect her with no obvious benefit to himself, made it a little easier for Naruto to forgive him, somewhat.

Hinata smiled and hugged Naruto from behind, happy that he had decided to give Orochimaru a chance. Then she broke away and gave a tight squeeze to Orochimaru too. He instantly froze and his pale face became a little paler. Naruto looked to the side and nodded grudgingly. Orochimaru lifted his arms, and carefully wrapped them around Hinata and hugged her back.

Orochimaru had to be extremely careful not to offend Naruto, especially now of all times, but he was also hesitant, because he hadn't been hugged in nearly a century-and-a-half, and even then, his parents were the only ones who did, and they died before he could remember. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. Others of the shinobi group had migrated to the Hill's edge to see what was going on and saw the scene. Most of them didn't care, but others were filing away the memories for future blackmail.

Even as they watched, Orochimaru seemed to glow for a moment before shrinking. Everyone's eyes widened as the white light that encompassed him dimmed and Hinata released him, startled by the light. Even as the light faded, they all took in a collective gasp.

Orochimaru was surprised as well and froze as the light vanished. He hesitantly looked down and his eyes widened to their maximum. He was now approximately five-foot-five; his facial features had rounded and his eyes had softened. His pale yellow eyes had taken on a more golden green look, and held a soothing, perhaps troubled air in them. His wounds had healed and his cloths were now very baggy. He hesitantly lifted his arms to look at him. His hands were smaller and his arms thinner.

"W-wha..?" He clamped a hand over his mouth has his voice had gone up a few octaves and also softened. His black hair had shortened to match his new physique, though the purple rings on his eyes remained. When words failed him, he looked back to Hinata and then to Naruto.

Hidan laughed at him. "What the fuck? He's just a kid!" He burst out laughing and fell to the ground in a fit. Deidara joined him almost instantly. Kisame grinned but only chuckled. "Seems like he had a reminiscing error."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. Pain also narrowed his eyes and Human Path stepped forward. "If you don't mind, Orochimaru?" it said as it raised its hand palm out. Orochimaru was too shocked to respond, so Human Path took the initiative and placed its palm on Orochimaru's head and closed his eyes.

A few seconds later he opened his eyes and Deva Path sent a mental message to Naruto and Hinata with the information gathered. Hinata was surprised, and despite her general apathy toward Orochimaru, her female nature took over and tears began to form in her eyes and held her folded hands to her mouth.

Naruto looked comically enraged. "Are you kidding me? That's all it was?!"

Human path glared at him. "It's only an assumption, but it's the best we can go on. Orochimaru, can you confirm that?" Orochimaru blinked out of his stupor and shook his head as if to clear it. "I… I suppose it's possible, especially with everything new that we're learning about this new world, but it just seems so impossible…"

He looked back down at his hands and he slowly wrapped them around himself, as if trying to remember the feeling of another's loving embrace. His eyes closed without him even realizing it and he stayed that way, head lowered and arms gripped around himself. His eyes opened suddenly, feeling the eyes of over a dozen others in front of him, and his arms shot to his sides and stayed there. A red tint spread along his cheeks; he suddenly realized what he was doing, and _who_ he was doing it in front of. Hidan and Deidara stared at him blankly for a moment before exploding into laughter, Deidara almost literally.

Hidan was punching his own sides to stop laughing. "AHAHAHAHA!!! Dude!! You're so fucked up!! HAHAHAHAHAHA-OOOOOWWWWW!!!!! FUCK!!" The last part of his laugh turned into a cry of pain as Kakuzu stomped his head a good three inches into the ground. It's not that Kakuzu didn't think it was funny; he thought it was funny as Hell. It's just that he prefers chuckling and smirking over loud-mouthed laughing any day. Besides it wasn't like he was damaging anything important… or that couldn't grow back…

Hinata's face fell to a concerned frown as the now child Orochimaru turned his head away in embarrassment. The sannin in question was rather confused by his own actions.

'_Why did I blush right now? Was it because I was hugging myself? Even if I was, I wouldn't feel embarrassed about it… I feel as I did when I was younger, emotions and everything! What on earth's happened to me?'_

"What's going on over here?" They all turned to see Sakura run up to the back of the group, Haku, Zabuza in tow. She tripped over herself when she saw Orochimaru standing there in his barely fitting cloths and embarrassed expression on his face. "WHAT THE HELL?!?!?" Pain sighed in annoyance. It was funny the first time…

"Sakura-san, would you mind checking Orochimaru and Deidara for injuries?" Sakura gaped at him incredulously. "I'm ok with bomber-boy, but there is no way in HELL I'm going to check Orochimaru!"

Pain let his face fall into his palm as he sighed deeply. They were all surprised when Hinata stepped forward and asked politely to check Orochimaru.

His blush increased dramatically as he looked away from her. _'What the Hell is wrong with me?! She's just checking for injuries damn it! Don't tell me that my hormones are back too!!'_

After a moment of silence, he nodded, barely. She smiled and directed him to lay down as Pain, Konan and Naruto broke the group up with the cliché "nothing to see here" routine. They reluctantly complied and loitered around doing nothing as Sakura checked each of them for injuries from Naruto's brief rampage. Those she didn't (who not surprisingly was only Orochimaru) were treated by Hinata.

Orochimaru's discomfort only increased when she asked him to take off his shirt. Silently cursing his mysteriously renewed hormones, he did as ordered and used it as an insulator between his back and the hard, rough earth. He closed his eyes as he felt the comforting feeling of healing chakra pass over his chest and stomach. His thoughts turned to his transformation and its cause, effectively distracting him from his embarrassment.

* * *

Truth be told, Naruto was quite amused by Orochimaru's reaction. Now, the fact that it had been _Hinata_ who he was reacting to made Naruto a little antsy, but he pushed it aside when he realized he was that way for a while too. Hell, he _still_ was like that sometimes, so he couldn't hold that against him. BUT!! If he found Orochimaru doing ANYTHING that he deemed inappropriate with or around Hinata, then even she wouldn't be able to stop him from beating the $*% out of him; younger version of himself or not.

Naruto looked back at the battlegrounds to see what the Shinigami were up to. For the most part they seemed to be taking care of their own, while the Ryoka were being healed by that Orihime girl. Ichigo in particular was heavily wounded in his fight with the Sixth division's captain.

"I hope that kid doesn't die… He's got a bunch of potential, that's for sure." He muttered to himself.

* * *

A good hour had passed since Orochimaru's "thrilling" transformation, and the group of Shinobi had all grouped together. The only exception was Sasuke, Juugo, and Zetsu. Zetsu had arrived not too long ago and talked to Sakura for a moment before zooming her and himself away; presumably to Sasuke. Pain slowly moved away from the group of friends and slowly walked toward the gathered Shinigami. They noticed the incoming reiatsu and looked his way. Even the underlings all stopped and stared as the six figures approached. The most noticeable one was, as intended, Deva Path. The wind picked up and blew his cloak with the wind, rustling his hair which all stood out against his calm and unmoving eyes.

Yamamoto was still on the hill watching as the recovery teams had worked around him, treating the injured. The sun was now beginning to set on the hill, and there had been no sign that the shinobi were going to talk any time soon. Until now. He cocked his head as six Akatsuki approached. Each of them looked ready to kill, but they passed by each of the Shinigami they came across aiming for the head of the Gotei 13.

They stopped a few feet away, and Deva Path spoke up. "We need to talk."

Yamamoto wasn't prepared for him to say that. He had expected a battle to the death, but he thanked the heavens that they were going to at least talk about _something_ rather than fight. He nodded his head and motioned for the Akatsuki to follow.

Pain inwardly hoped Naruto would forgive him.

* * *

_**The Next Morning:  
**__**Naruto's Mindscape/Soul...**_

"What the hell do you mean?! I'm not out of control!!"

"**You're so out of control you don't even know it! Because of this reiryoku, my emotions have seeped into you, and now you get angry at the smallest offence! Granted the girl's pain would have upset you anyway, but you didn't even kill a single one!!" **Kyuubi growled out from his cage. Naruto stood before him glaring at him angrily.

"And why is that? Because _you_ were weak! Who took over my mind? _You!!_ I wasn't in control!"

"**Give me a break brat; I'm still getting used to using spiritual energy! It's not like I've done this before. Besides, you've had more time to learn how to control your powers. I've only had the times you let my power out to learn, so don't use me as your freaking scapegoat!"**

Now it was Naruto's turn to growl at his charge. "I'm not using you as a scapegoat!"

"**Than what the Hell **_**are**_** you doing, **_**huh?!**_**" **Naruto opened his mouth to retort but found no words escaped. He turned his head to the side in frustration and crossed his arms. "You should have been more powerful than me. You should have been able to kill them…"

"…**Is that what this is about? You're upset that I couldn't kill them when you thought I could, and so now you're taking it out on me?! You little human shit! You wouldn't even be alive today if it weren't for me! I think I deserve a little credit here!! Besides, why don't you use your life philosophy and forgive them like you always did after fighting Pain? What happened to that?"**

"That applies in life, but in death things are different, OK?!"

The Kyuubi shook its head as it sighed. **"Sure sure; blame it on death…" **Kyuubi sighed

"**Your right though. Things have change. From what I can tell, my energy has become identical to what the Shinigami would call a Hollow; the natural enemy of the Shinigami. I have a feeling this will come into play sometime in the near future but I don't know when. Just take it easy and don't get frustrated. Once I get these new powers under control, you can get as angry as you want, but for now, cool it!"**

Without another word, the space around Naruto faded and he opened his eyes to the real world. In front of him was the wall to a room Konan had made with her paper. Each of the Shinobi had gotten one, or pairs had to share (she only had so much paper after all). Naruto shifted to get more comfortable when something wrapped around his waist and chest. He craned his neck to see Hinata behind him, still asleep. He peered under the covers and saw that she had her legs wrapped around his legs and waist, and her arms around his torso.

'_Guess I'm not moving until she gets up. Might as well.'_ He relaxed into her as she pressed herself up against him. She had a lavender shirt on and a pair of thin pajama bottoms. He had only his boxers and a light black t-shirt. He slid his arms up to where her hands were and gripped them, holding them as if they were a fine piece of pottery.

"I know this goes without saying, but I'm so glad you're alright, Hina-hime." He whispered to her.

* * *

"So you understand the implications of this, Kurotsuchi Mayuri?" Yamamoto looked at the downward gazing captain as he spoke. The other available captains had been called to the meeting regarding Mayuri's actions, and how they had led to a brief war with the shinobi.

Mayuri was silent for a moment before he grudgingly nodded. "Very well then. Because of your actions, you are hereby suspended from scientific activities outside of projects given to you by myself or the other captains, and your time in the RDI when not working on said projects will be severely limited." Mayuri's eye twitched as he raised his head to object.

"But-!!"

"No objections!!! Your actions are inexcusable! The only reason you aren't suspended from captain duty is because of our lack of five available captains, with Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Kuchiki Byakuya recovering from their wounds. Let this be a lesson to you, and a deterrent to any other voluntary experiments."

Mayuri lowered his gaze again and clenched his fist.

"Secondly, regarding the Shinobi souls; Pain-san and I spoke earlier as to their fate and we have agreed on a compromise. Because of Mayuri's actions, they no longer view Soul Society as safe, and so they do not wish to stay. However, we cannot send them to their own world, despite their' obvious ability to combat Hollow. They would simply destroy the soul of the Hollow rather than purify it as we do. So, to keep both themselves safe, and their world, we have agreed to-…"

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura strolled through Rukongai at a leisurely pace. Sasuke had called for Zetsu and told him to bring Sakura to him the other day, as he had been tending to the unconscious form of the girl he had defeated earlier. Of course, his version of "tending to" someone was really just plopping them on the ground and sitting on a rock and waiting until they woke up. When she didn't wake, he called for Sakura, and Zetsu went and got her. When they had arrived, she had instantly questioned him and he answered as truthfully as he could. Sakura knew that he had done his best to stop, and was glad that he was able to do so.

With that done, she got to treating the girl. When she failed to awaken, even with her injuries taken care of, Zetsu offered to drop her off at the Shinigami hospital. Originally concerned that Zetsu might eat the poor girl, they allowed him to do as he wished. Zetsu convinced them that he was trying to kick the habit, and that it would be a good test for his self control.

Now they were simply walking throughout the bustling towns, watching as people went about their daily afterlives. They would always get stares though, as Sasuke was dressed as a noble, as was Sakura. He was dressed in his usual white, high collared shirt, black pants and purple obi (the rope belt). The katana at his hip was also enough to draw stares by itself. Naturally Shinigami were the only ones who wore katana, and his air definitely said "powerful", but he wasn't dressed as one, so there was much confusion on that part.

Sakura was dressed in a white sleeveless shirt with pink tribal designs, small black shorts, and black near-knee length shinobi boots (her shippuuden outfit but with a new color scheme). Bother of them had the Uchiha crest on the back, making the plebeians wonder if they were some noble clan they hadn't heard of. Sasuke didn't mind the attention, and neither did Sakura, so they simply continued through the towns.

They soon met up with Naruto and Hinata, after a good hour. Naruto wore a black shirt with an orange copy of his seal plastered on it, and long black pants with black shinobi sandals. Hinata went for a lavender T-shirt and midnight blue shin length pants and her usual shinobi sandals (shippuuden style).

"Hey Naruto, Hinata! What are you two doing out here?" Sakura asked as she jogged up to where the other two were standing.

They turned to face her and smiled as the two approached. "Nagato wanted us out of Seireitei. He thought it would be good for us to get some fresh air in a normal environment."

Sasuke caught up to them and smiled at Hinata. "Glad to see you up and about. Nagato does a good job, ne?" Naruto smiled and nodded, as did Hinata.

Hinata nodded and touched the corner of her left eye. "Hai. Nagato-san's healing abilities are very powerful. I don't even feel the memory of pain." Naruto wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed her closer to him, which she gladly accepted. Sasuke took the cue and did the same with his wife. He smiled as she jumped slightly at the unexpected gesture. "Well, since we're here, we might as well tour the area together, right Naruto?"

Naruto nodded and looked at his wife. "If it's ok with Hinata, than its ok with me." He smiled his usually goofy grin.

Hinata chuckled and nodded. "I'd like a walk, Naruto-kun." She linked her arm in his and the group walked off into Rukongai.

* * *

"Kushina! There you are! I've been looking for you dear. You haven't passed my shop all week; I was getting scared there for a while." The flustered shop keeper fussed over a beautiful red haired girl. Her long deep-red hair reached down to just a little over her rear. She wore a yellow kimono with black creeping vine-like designs with roses and spirals along the stalk.

The girl in question, Kushina, smiled and rubbed her neck. "Gomen Yuno-san. I haven't been feeling well lately. And Minato, he's been acting so strangely that we've been kind of depressed the past weeks…" She frowned and looked down.

The shop-keeper, Yuno, looked at her friend for a moment before moving forward and grabbed Kushina's hand. "Do you want to talk about it dear? Remember, I'm here for anything." Kushina retracted her hand and forced a smile. "No, no! I'm perfectly fine now! That's why I'm out here and not inside, right?" Yuno wasn't convinced. "Kushina, you know that doesn't fly with me. I won't give up until you tell me what's wrong and you know it." Kushina frowned again.

"I'll tell you what Yuno-san; I'll talk to Minato and see if he minds me talking about it. If not then I'll come see you straight away." Yuno nodded and smile.

"Good! I'm glad to see you out and about, but if you have problems you shouldn't keep them bottled up. It's not good for your health you know." She wagged a finger at her friend.

Kushina chuckled lightly and nodded. "Well thank you Yuno-san. I'd better get going. Kouzuki has been given leave to come home. Apparently she was injured fighting against those Ryoka that came earlier in the week. Minato and I were worried at first, but we were told that most of her wounds were treated, and now she just needs to recuperate."

Yuno looked shocked and held her hands to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! I hope she gets better! Your daughter is such a sweetie; I can't imagine why she joined the Gotei 13."

Kushina sighed. "I know. I don't understand it either, but at the same time I can… Anyway, I'd better get going, she's supposed to get home soon!"

Yuno smiled. "Well, alright! I'll let you go, I'm sure you're itching to see Kouzuki-chan!"

"Thanks Yuno-san! I'll see you tomorrow I hope. Bye!" She said as she turned to leave.

"Say hi to your girl for me!"

Kushina waved behind her to Yuno and continued on her way. Truth be told, she knew that her daughter's choice of joining the Gotei 13 was due to her and her husband's influence on her. Being former shinobi of Konohagakure, they had always told her the tales of when they lived and of the village. She was inspired by those stories, and decided that Seireitei was almost exactly like what her parents had told her Konohagakure was, and decided she would become a Shinigami, to protect the "village" just like her parents did.

Kushina sighed. She couldn't tell Yuno, or anyone of their past, lest the Shinigami, as honorable as they may be, take advantage of any shinobi spirits in their world. Then again, it was another matter of their son. Their _only_ son. In fact, that was the reason she had been so down lately was because of her son.

Naruto, by her calculations would be a good ninety years old by now, and close to death, unless he had discovered/created a jutsu that enabled a type of immortality. She cursed herself for wishing misfortune upon her only son, but she wished he would be with them soon. And she had a sneaking suspicion that Minato was also suffering for the same reason. He had been distant the past few months, and she assumed it was because he was anticipating Naruto's coming.

Not only that, she was sure he was worried about how he would approach his own son when it came time. After all, he _had_ sealed the world's most powerful, and malicious demon into him, and essentially doomed him to a life of doom and gloom.

By this time she had arrived home to their decent sized house, paid for by their daughter's generosity. She opened the door and called out for Minato, but no answer came. She sighed. _'He must be out for the afternoon.'_ She laid the basket she was carrying on the counter and placed the food into the fridge, cupboards and closet. Folding the bag up, she put in a drawer where she always put spare bags. A knock on the door sound and she wondered who it was.

She walked to the door, her hair swaying with each step. She opened it up to reveal a Shinigami in front of her. He bowed to her and then righted himself. "Uzumaki Kushina I presume?"

"Yes, that's me." Kushina said, a tad worried.

"I'm Tadashi. I'm here to escort Uzumaki Kouzuki home." Kushina sighed in relief and smiled at the man. Minato and Kushina had decided to use her family name when they came to Soul Society, certain that Naruto would eventually find out his heritage and change his name to Namikaze.

The man motioned behind him. A young girl, clad in a Shingami hakama and katana tied to her waist. She had deep red hair, like her mother, but hers was cut short, to accommodate her bandana that she normally wore in the Onmitsukidō. "Kouzuki!" Kushina dashed forward and embraced her daughter in a hug.

"Oomph! Mo~m!"

Kouzuki hugged her mom anyway, despite being slightly annoyed that her mother still treated her like a child at times. "I'm alright mom, really!" Kushina let her daughter go, but still held onto her wrists. Tadashi bowed again and took his leave, shutting the door behind him.

"How are you honey? You're not hurt too bad are you?" Kushina inquired. Kouzuki smiled warmly at her mother's kindness. "Come on mom! It's not like I got stabbed or anything."

Kushina blinked. "Well, I wasn't informed what kind of injury you got, or how it happened, so I wouldn't know."

Kouzuki also blinked. "Oh… Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's ok darling. I know you always think I'm treating you like a child, but you're the only child I have right now! I'm allowed to fret over you." She smirked at her daughter who smiled and hugged her mom again. They stayed that way for a minute before they broke apart and went out to the garden to talk.

"So, what _did_ happen? We haven't heard much down here in Rukongai." Kouzuki sighed and sat under a blossoming sakura tree. "Well… where to begin? Hah! I guess it all started when the Ryoka showed up, I think. Apparently, Kuchiki Rukia, of the Noble Kuchiki House, had illegally given her Shinigami powers to a human. She was brought back here and the human was reported dead. However, it turns out he lived and he got a group together and invaded Soul Society. A week later, Rukia-san was taken to Sōkyoku Hill to be executed, and the Ryoka attacked."

Kushina nodded, indicating she understood the gist of what she was saying. "That attack is where it gets complicated. I don't know a lot, but there were these strange non-Shinigami residing in Seireitei who had weird abilities. I don't know who they are, but they were easily captain level. I've heard they were the Gotei's guests here, and for some reason they attacked us the same time the Ryoka did. Soifon-taicho began a fight with one of them. During the fight, captain ordered us to attack…"

Her face was solemn and her eyes held darkness, rather than their usual azure glow. "The person we were fighting was only a boy, no older than seventeen. He had black hair, red eyes and amazing abilities. He fought each of us off effortlessly; most of us were burned with a wave of fire he shot from his mouth."

Kushina suddenly felt nostalgic for the standard fire jutsu used in her days as a shinobi.

"Eventually it was just me and the captain, and she had him held in place, so I went in to attack. Just as I got to him, his entire body electrified and both of us were thrown back. I… I've never been in so much pain before in my life mom…" She said as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Kushina wrapped an arm around her daughter and squeezed her to her. "And then, I was so in pain that I couldn't even speak! He picked me up by my hair and I prayed to any god out there to let him spare me. His eyes were so cold… So merciless. But then, they changed. They became considerate, and kind, but still cold. Then I blacked out, and I woke up in the Fourth division."

A tear slid down her cheek and she sobbed lightly. "I-I've never f-felt so p-powerless in my l-life…" Kushina frowned and held her daughter close, who hugged her back as she balled into her mother's shoulder.

"Shhh… It's alright dear. You're alright now and that's what matters. There will always be someone stronger than you. It's the way of life."

Kouzuki continued to sob into Kushina's shoulder for a good five minutes before raising her head. "Thanks mom. I needed that… I think." She smiled awkwardly at Kushina who smiled lovingly at her. "Don't worry, I'm sure you did. That's my job as your mother after all."

Kouzuki smiled and nodded at her. The next few minutes were spent with Kushina listening intently to Kouzuki's explanation of everything else before and after that. "Kouzuki, why don't we go for a walk? I'm sure the others in the area would love to see you again." The younger girl smiled and nodded.

* * *

Aizen walked down the dim, moon-lit hallways of Las Noches, Gina and Kaname trailing not far behind. When they had returned from Soul Society, they had a host of Hollow and **Arrancar** there to greet them. Not that Aizen cared any about that. With the Hogyoku, he had instantly begun converting the still-Hollow to now-Arrancar. Of course, most of them were already Arrancar, but he still had a few, like the **Números **that were around the area. He and his compatriots walked into the throne room and he walked up the steps and leaned back into the stone throne.

It was oddly satisfying; to sit in the very seat a former king once sat in; to know that he had usurped control of his kingdom and taken it for his own. He looked over and noticed that Baraggan was looking at him with both a look of loyalty, and slight jealously. He'd have to be sure to eliminate that last one. "Sorry for making you all wait. But as you can see, we've arrived."

The Arrancar said nothing as they waited for him to give them orders. "Now, Ithe reason I called for you all is for you Espada to choose your Fracción. We'll begin by the strongest to weakest. So Starrk, who will it be?"

All the Arrancar in the room looked at him expectantly. He looked around and sighed. "Truth is, I don't even want a Fracción. Lilynette is enough as far as I'm concerned."

Aizen nodded. "What about you, Baraggan?"

The aged Arrancar's expression didn't change. "I'll take Choe Neng Poww, Charlotte Cuuhlhourne, Avirama Redder, Findor Carias, Ggio Vega, and Nirgge Parduoc."

"Oi! Leave some for the rest of us, eh?!" the voice came from the Cyclops of the group. His black hair fell below his shoulders and his narrow eye glared at Baraggan. Aizen chuckled. "It's alright, Nnoitra. There are plenty to choose from. Very well then Baraggan, you shall have them. Now Halibel."

"Apache, Mila-Rose, and Sun-Sun, for me, Aizen-sama."

The blond haired, dark-skinned female, in fact the _only _female Espada at this point, answered. Aizen nodded, understanding her choice of only female Fracción. "And you Ulquiorra-san?" She asked, the pale skinned Espada beside her.

His green eyes closed. "If you don't mind, Aizen-sama, I'd like to go last." Aizen smirked, and nodded. "Ok then. Nnoitra."

"About fuckin' time. I'll take Tesla." Baraggan looked at the Quinto Espada. "You complain about my amount and you only choose one?"

"Shut the fuck up, ya' old dick!"

"Silence!" They all turned and looked at Tousen, who had been the one to speak. "Aizen-sama would prefer this _doesn't_ turn into a brawl, understood?"

They all, reluctantly, back down from each other and the line continued.

Grimmjow: "I'll take my crew. You know the ones." Of course he was referring to Shawlong Kūfang, Edrad Liones, Yylfordt Granz, Di Roy Linker and Nakeem Greendina, with whom he had lived a good portion of his life as an Adjuchas.

Zommari: "I'd prefer not to have one. They would only get in my way." Of course, he meant that in a very literal way, considering his abilities.

Szayel Apporo: "I don't need to waist talent for these other Espada; I'll simply make my own."

Aaroniero: "_I only need myself,_ **Aizen-sama**."

Aizen had been grinning the entire time. He'd grinned so much in his life that he honestly didn't get tired of it. "And what of you, Yammy?"

"I don't need _anyone_. They'd be completely useless to me." The giant said, tempted to pick his nose, but he restrained himself.

"Very well then." Aizen said. "Ulquiorra, you said you wanted to go last, and now it's your turn."

Ulquiorra looked at the gathered Números. "It does seem as though all of the good candidates have already been chosen. If you don't mind, Aizen-sama, I'd rather go without one."

Aizen regarded the Cuatro for a moment before speaking. "You have keen eyes, Ulquiorra. Perhaps you wouldn't mind then if I chose someone for you?"

The black haired man gave a gentleman's bow to his superior. "If it pleases you, Aizen-sama."

Aizen nodded and stood up. "Then that concludes this meeting. You may go about your usual activities." Each of the newly promoted Fracción followed their new superior out of the atrium. Ulquiorra stayed to wait for Aizen's decision. When everyone else had left, Tousen closed the door and stood by it, as if a guard.

"Now then, Ulquiorra, I do believe that you deserve a Fracción, and I think you'll like my choice. I didn't want to put him up for selection earlier because, while not quite Espada material, he is quite skilled. I wanted to award him to someone who pleased me at some point, but I think he would be the perfect subordinate for you." Ulquiorra walked after Aizen as they too left the throne room. Walking through the maze of corridors that Ulquiorra had grown accustomed to, they stopped in front of a pair of tall doors.

They stopped and Gin stepped forward and knocked. "Open up." The doors opened slowly to reveal a large living room type setting. There was a couch in front of a small table and seven separate doors were instantly visible. Five were living quarters, one was a kitchen, and another was miscellaneous room that the group in front of them was allowed to use for whatever they wanted.

The group in question was sprawled around the room. There were five in total. Two were sitting on the couch, watching a TV that had been brought from the human world, along with some accessories. If Gin recalled correctly, the humans called them "game stations". The two sitting seemed to be engrossed in a game at the moment, but they paused it to regard the four who entered (Aizen and co. and Ulquiorra).

One other walked out of the misc. room, slightly sweaty, and from the way his muscles were tensing, it appeared he was working out. His deep orange hair was spiked, but was in need of a good comb.

The two on the couch bowed their heads to Aizen and his possy. One had his smoke-black hair pulled back into a ponytail of sorts, making his head look somewhat like a pineapple. The other's faded blue hair covered one side of his face.

"Dang it! I was winning too!" The black haired one said.

"You always win at this game. You seriously need a life man." Replied the blue haired individual.

The larger of the three who had just come in opted to stay quiet in the presence of Aizen, though the ex-Shinigami knew that he really wanted to say something to the other two. One of the five living quarter's doors opened and a girl came out dressed in only a towel, her red-pink hair standing out as much as the big man's orange hair. She looked at the scene in front of her and blushed. She had expected the other two to be playing games, but it's not like they cared. The fact that she hated the big man's guts didn't help any, and then add to the fact that the two sub-leaders, and single supreme ruler of Hueco Mundo, along with the Cuatro Espada were standing right in front of her, made her a _bit_ nervures.

"Ah good, your already here. Minus one that is. Where is the other of you?" The girl fidgeted slightly and she looked away from Aizen. "Hn. You can get presentable, I only need your group leader." She nodded and bowed, retreating to the safety of her room.

"So, where is he?" Tousen asked the now three in the room. The blue hair spoke up. "Eh? Oh him. He's-"

"-Right here, Aizen-sama." Aizen turned to see the man he was looking for. "Ahh there you are…" A figure stepped out of the shadows behind Aizen. He had white hair that was split down the middle by a zig-zag line. He had a red pigment below each emerald green eye, and two red dots on his forehead. The white haired young man before him bowed his head in reverence.

"…Kimimaro-kun."

"How may I serve you Aizen-sama?"

Aizen smirked. "I've decided to give you to Ulquiorra here as a Fracción. That is, if you agree to it."

"It would be an honor, Aizen-sama." He was dressed in a white Shihakushou with a white zip-up shirt and a Zanpakutō at his side (He looked like he did in life from the waist up; same shirt and all but different color scheme/different pants and shoes).

Ulquiorra looked at the man for a good while, trying to figure him out. This man was talented, beyond what he should be. Not only, but he had so much untapped power that he could easily be a middle Espada were he to discover it. But what pleased Ulquiorra the most that that the man was so similar to himself; he walked with the air of one who was totally sure of himself, or rather, in his skill, rather than brute power. Even as both of their green eyes met, Ulquiorra noticed it: _'Our eyes are the same.'_

'…_he seeks approval by Aizen. He seeks only to serve the one who gave him power. Why does that seem so familiar?'_ Kimimaro felt a wave of unknown nostalgia as brief glimpses of a fuzzy world passed through his mind. He shook his head slightly to clear it. It had been happening a lot recently. Memories that he did not believe were his kept entering his mind, but they were so foggy and vague, he couldn't tell what they were.

Kimimaro bowed to Ulquiorra. "I am yours to command, Ulquiorra-sama."

"Ulquiorra will do." Kimimaro rose and nodded. "Ulquiorra-dono then. I cannot accept treating you so familiar."

The Cuatro lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes in a silent sigh. "If it suits you."

"No fair man! How come he got picked as a Fracción? We've been here just as long as he has!"

"Shut it, Kidomaru! Don't forget who you're in front of!" The fat man retorted to the pineapple haired Arrancar.

"Both of you need to shut up." The blue haired man said. He turned back to the TV and hit the play button. "Kimimaro is stronger than any of us, and he's got the loyalty that Aizen-sama just _loves_."

"That's crossing the line, Sakon!" The voice came from a feminine source that came back out from the room she had escaped to earlier. Now fully clothed, she had regained her usual boldness. "You shouldn't speak that way in front of Aizen-sama!"

Sakon continued to play his game, slouched over and uncaring. "Funny. I never thought the day would come when you agree with Jirobo, Tayuya." Tayuya was about to retort when Aizen's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Please, gentlemen, madam. Such hostility towards one another is not necessary." She bowed to her knee instantly in reverence.

"Please forgive me, Aizen-sama!" Jirobo was only a moment behind her, but opted to say nothing, and let his female compatriot do the talking. Sakon merely turned his head to glare at the pitiful actions of the other two. Kidomaru didn't care either way, being neither spiteful like Sakon, nor ridiculously honorable like Jirobo and Tayuya. He huffed and shrugged, picking up his controller to join Sakon in the game.

Aizen chuckled. He always found this particular group of Arrancar interesting. They way they acted as enemies, but were in reality a type of family. Granted they might lose some sleep over the death of one of them, they wouldn't worry too much. They are Hollow after all.

He remembered when he had found them while traveling the wastes of Heuco Mundo…

_Flash-back no Jutsu!_

_The moon shone brightly in the night sky as Aizen, Gin and Tousen travelled across the cools sands of Heuco Mundo, along with a select couple of the Espada._

"_Aizen-taicho. You feel that?" Asked his squinting companion. _

"_Yeah. Think it's worth checking out?"_

_Gin remained silent, but smiled a bit wider. Aizen also smirked. "Cirucci, Dordonii, would you do the honors?"_

_The two Espada following them nodded and __**Sonido**__-ed away to the location of the disturbance._

* * *

_The Hollow screamed as its neck was broken by the massive palm on its throat. "Another one down, eat up." The one who spoke had an ogre mask with dark red skin. He had massive arms and small legs that made him look almost like a gorilla. His Hollow hole was just a bit to the right of, and above his heart (think Ulquiorra but off to the side more)._

"_Jirobo, you can have first bites on that one." This one was another male. He had a long black mane that was spiked all over. His mask was elongated and had three eyeholes, though only two eyes glowed beneath. He had four arms and a specific spider like appearance. His green skin contrasted with the other colors displayed on his body._

_The gorilla like one did a double take. "What's with you? You're actually letting me take first serving on this guy?"_

"_If you die, we'd have no one to make fun of, and our fat-jokes would go to waste." The cynical one was a two headed monster with jagged, messed up teeth on his masks. Each head faced away from each other. He had four legs and arms, and a purple body. His Hollow hole was directly above his right eye, and went all the way through his head._

"_Tayuya, you go after Jirobo." This one was a tall white monster with spikes all over his body, and the mask on his face was more pronounced, and far more elegant in its own way. There were black marks around its eyes. It had a thin whip-like tail that swayed behind him. His fingers were sharp like knives, and His Hollow hole was located dead center of his chest._

_The last member of the group nodded and stood up and went up next to the carcass. She had sharp horns on her head and sharp talons on her fingers. Her mask had two horns coming from the side, with a third sprouting for her head where her mask didn't reach, and had two black line going down vertically down her from each eye. _

_The first dug in and ate a good portion of it, with the female not a moment later. With only half a Hollow left, the other three divided it up equally, not really leaving much for themselves._

_The lanky spider guy twitched his head. "Company." He whispered._

_The tall white one turned to the group from where he was facing the desert. "They're powerful. I can tell even from here."_

_The two headed Hollow looked at the white one. "Should we run for it? We could get killed."_

"_Or we'd get a pretty nice snack…" Input Jirobo._

_The white one looked back out at the desert. "Too late to choose now."_

_With a sudden knowledge, they all sensed the presence of two powerful Hollow. One stood atop a large boulder, and the other was behind them. The one of the rock was female and wore a provocative attire. The other was more formal with a gentleman's mustache and a bone plate on his forehead. But one thing about both was that they were clearly Arrancar, being far superior to simple Adjuchas Hollow. _

"_What do we have here? A small group of Hollow?" the female said._

"_Careful Cirucci, it's our job to recruit them if they show potential." Dordonii said with caution. Cirucci fake pouted and fiddled with the whip yo-yo that was her Zanpakutō. "But how are we supposed to find out if they're worthy without testing them first?"_

_Dordonii sighed, but with a smile. "Can't deny that logic, _mujer._" He said as he charged forward at the lanky Hollow. He was surprised when his kick was stopped by the tall white one. _

_Said Hollow had intercepted the attack with a single arm, and was poised to defend its "comrades" at a moment's notice. "Kidomaru, Tayuya. You two take the girl. That weapon looks long ranged to me." _

_They nodded without a word of complaint. "Sakon, Ukon, Jirobo, back me up." They also nodded and got into position. _

_Cirucci sighed in boredom. "Seriously? Just two? How come I get the boring ones?" Even as the other two charged at her, she threw her Zanpakutō at them. The four armed one leapt into the air to avoid it and the girl Hollow sidestepped and opened her mouth. _

"_Ehh?" A loud screech filled the air and beam of pure sound rocketed at her. The intensity of the blast caused the rock she stood on to explode. She leapt into the air and recalled her weapon. She spied the other of her opponents on the sandy floor simply looking at her. _

"_What are you looking at?!" She threw her weapon again at the Hollow, only for said Hollow to spew a large web that entangled the Espada and her Zanpakutō. "Shit!" _

_She was distracted by the webs long enough for Tayuya to leap up behind her and sink her teeth into her neck. _

"_AHH!!!" She cried out in pain._

_The white headed Hollow had yet to attack Dordonii, and so was not too distracted to hear the scream in the air. _

"_It seems your friend is in trouble, Arrancar."_

"_She should have been prepared for tricks like that. But it's better to focus on your opponent, _principiante!_" He dashed forward and spun a kick that landed hard on the white one's arms. However, he was unprepared for the spikes on the Hollow's arms to wrap around his leg. "What's this?"_

"_Now."_

_Dordonii's senses reacted immediately upon that word. From both sides of him the other two charged, the brute with its fists raised, and the Siamese-twin one mirroring the attack._

_Dordonii however, had other ideas. "Hn. No creativity at all, _niños._" Both of them reached him and threw their punches. There was a brief cloud of dust from the impact, but it soon settled. When it cleared, Dordonii was holding the fist of Sakon and Jirobo. Despite having three of his four limbs occupied he still smirked. He threw three punches. Two for Jirobo and on for Sakon. Both flew back a few feet. _

_He then spun on his trapped foot and tried to axe kick the white one, only for him to raise his other arm and effortlessly block the attack. Dordonii stayed suspended in the air, watching his opponent. _

_After a moment he spoke. "What's your name, niño?"_

_The white one's yellow eyes gazed at him for a moment. "Kimimaro. Remember it…" A plethora of spikes shot from his chest. "…as the Hollow who killed you." Dordonii's eyes widened as he fired a __**bala**__ at Kimimaro, allowing him to escape the death grip on his feet. He leapt back and gripped his Zanpakutō. _

"'_One without equal,' eh? You do seem out of class I suppose. Perhaps _'perito' _would fit you better, no?"_

_Kimimaro held his left arm out toward Dordonii. "Call me what you want. It will all mean nothing when you're dead." Four scythe-like blades erupted from his forearm and curved over his hand in four directions._

"_Interesting. I think your group will do quite nicely, _perito._" _

_Kimimaro looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"_

"_He means that he believes that you all would make a fine addition to my forces."Kimimaro turned to the source of the voice. Aizen walked calmly _toward him. _His glasses reflected the light of the moon. _

"_You are quite powerful to hold off one of my Espada as only an Adjuchas. I'd be willing to make you stronger, if you and your friends were to join the ranks of my Arrancar army."_

_Kimimaro lower his arm. "You are a Shinigami. Why would I ally myself with you?"_

_Aizen smiled warmly. "I don't agree with the Shinigami way of doing things; killing Hollow without regard, without reason, and do so unchecked. I wish to overturn them, and make peace between us. But to do that, I need skilled warriors who are willing to fight for that cause. One such as yourself, and even your friends would make nice additions to my army. Perhaps you could even become an Espada…"_

_Kimimaro was about to simply walk away from the man and his ridiculous ideas when a strange feeling emerged in his stomach. It wasn't hunger, but it seemed to be a feeling of… _

_Longing…_

_Longing to be valued, to be needed. Where this feeling came from, he didn't know, but it caused him to turn back to the brown haired Shinigami. Aizen hadn't taken his eyes off of him the entire time. _

_Kimimaro looked down at his clawed hand. He flexed his fingers a few times, before directing his glowing yellow eyes at his natural enemy. "I cannot make that decision by myself, Shinigami."_

_Tayuya and Kidomaru stepped out from behind the Shinigami. "We've already made out decisions Kimimaro." Kidomaru stated. "We will join him. We will be safe this way."_

_Kimimaro looked over at his compatriot's battle ground and saw the bloodied form of the female who had attacked them. He redirected his gaze at his two other groupies. Both of them heard what the man had said, and they looked at each other. Then back at Kimimaro._

_They nodded._

_Kimimaro looked back at Aizen. He walked forward._

_Aizen smiled._

* * *

**A/N: Phew! I liked the past parts :P heehee! Well, i dont have much to say right now, so PLEASE! Please please please PLEEEAAASSSEE!!! REVIEW!!! I got a bunch late chapter, and it ended up being the most ive gotten for a single chapter. **

**LETS TRY AND BEAT EIGHTEEN (18)!!!**

**ReViEw PlEaSe!1!1!1!**


	16. Chapter 16: Changes

**_A/N:_ Well, i got this one out pretty early. Thats a surprise.... . But I must say that When I actually sit myself down and force myself to write, I can actually get things done. Now if only I could get the same motivation for school.... Ahh, wishfull thinking. Sorry.**

**As far as this chapter goes, I think that this is about the same quality as chapter 14, and thats because, this time, i simply dont do scenes like these very well. My combat scenes are amazing (judging from your reeactions on chapter 13), and my romance scenes are fairly decent, but its these slow scenes like the ones your about to read im siply no good at. But hey you tell me.**

**Anyway! My thanks go out to **HolyKnight5**, **zentary**, **Kage Bijuu**, **The Laughing Pheonix**, **Fury074**, **Soraya the All Speaker**, **Neko-Graphic**, **Dfletcherboyy**, **Flamelord99**, **ace of goons**, **Arashigan16**, **XDpercabethXD**, **Chva**, **Alehhandro**, **Dude4514**, **TenWings**, **FF-LoverHP1**, and **sipuli123 **for the reviews you gave chapter 15! Without further distractions, I will leave you to your reading and reviewing. ^_^**

**ROLL TEXT!!!**

* * *

_**Chapter 16: **_

_**Changes**_

Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura all walked through Seireitei, completely content to keep to themselves and take in the sights of the _real_ life in Soul Society was like. Rarely was a Shinigami seen, and if one was, Sasuke's Sharingan was able to hypnotize them away before they even came within spitting distance of each other.

"Ahh… Nice day, eh Sasuke?" Sasuke looked at the blonde and nodded.

"Yeah… Not bad at all. But the atmosphere is a bit oppressive, no?" He was, of course, referring to the curious glances they were receiving, and the questioning looks directed their way. It wasn't everyday you saw people like the shinobi. With an air of superiority and the looks of nobility, it would be enough to draw _anyone's_ eyes.

Hinata wasn't extremely comfortable with the stares, and Naruto noticed it. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She gave him a thankful look, which he returned with his usual warm smile. Naruto was happy however; Nagato, as Pain, was handling all that political crap that he as Hokage had hated. And he was taking the day off knowing that if anything were to happen Nagato would be sure to Shinra Tensei the whole of Seireitei.

"Yep, but nothing for it but to relax. Aint nothin' gonna ruin our day, ne Hina-hime?" Hinata smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're absolutely right Naruto. Hey, mind if ride you?"

Sasuke and Saukra nearly tripped when they heard Hinata ask that. Naruto however smiled and nodded. "Sure! Hop on!" He bent down and Sasuke was about to protest, but when Hinata simply climbed on his back and he hefted her up, he remembered that the love between the two was one of pure innocence. He shook his head and laughed slightly as what he thought was going to happen. Sakura sighed deeply with a relieved face.

"Ruin" the day? I wouldn't quite put it that way. But, they _were_ going to have an _interesting _set of events that no one could have foreseen. Well, maybe that's a bit much…

* * *

Kushina walked through the Rokungai streets with Kouzuki, having a merry time with each other, and Kouzuki receiving several excited greetings from friends and passer-bys. Kushina was happy for her daughter; to be missed as much as she was, and welcomed so warmly by everyone was a result of her charm and unwavering loyalty to the common man and woman. Kushina often donated large portions of her salary to those in need. What she didn't, she gave half of to her parents and the rest she kept for herself. Kushina was proud of her, and only hoped that Naruto had turned out just like her. Or rather, that she had turned out like she prayed Naruto had. After all, Naruto was her older brother.

"Oh don't worry! I'm here on paid leave. I don't know how long they'll let me, but I'll stay as long as possible." Kushina was brought back from her thoughts by her daughter chatting with the fruit seller that they frequented when Kouzuki was a child. She had a smile on her face as the shopkeeper nodded and said goodbye, expressing thankfulness that she was home and safe.

Oh! Kushina-chan! Can you come over here for a moment?" Kushina looked over to an old lady sitting on her porch. She nodded and walked over. "What is it Saiyo-san?"

The old lady smiled at her. "Sit down, sit down! We haven't talked in ages. I miss having you as a tea-mate nowadays."

Kushina smiled and nodded. "Sorry about that. It's just that Minato and I have been… occupied… lately." She didn't want to say the real reason, since it really wasn't anyone's business but their own. "Ah, I see. Well, that's understandable. Every couple needs their time to themselves. Speaking of which… how are things between you and Minato?"

Kushina smiled. "We're doing fine, why?" Saiyo looked around warily and scooched closer to her red haired friend. "Are you sure dear? You haven't had any… conflicts have you?"

"No we haven't. Why're you asking this all of a sudden Saiyo-san?" The old lady frowned and kept her voice low.

"Well, I think its best I tell you; I saw Minato out here earlier with… well, with another lady. Now normally I'd think the best, but he seemed _pretty_ friendly with her."

Kushina was shocked to say the least. "Minato…_ my_ Minato?"

"There's no mistaking him dear. I'm sorry, but I'm only telling you what I saw."

Kushina's mouth was agape. "W-well… What were they doing? What did she look like?"

The old lady looked up for a moment and "hmm"-ed to herself. "Well, she had long black hair, kinda looked blue for a minute there, but you know my eyes, ehehahehah! And she had a purple-ish shirt on and navy Capri's. And she was riding on his back! Yes, I remember because I couldn't see either of their faces since hers was blocking it, and she had her head down."

Kushina was speechless for a moment. Saiyo took it as a cue to fill in the silence. "He was also hanging around with the oddest people! One looked like someone from the Kuchiki house, what with all the black hair and cold demeanor. But it couldn't be a Kuchiki because he seemed to be pretty friendly with a _pink_ haired girl. Very odd I do say. Very odd indeed."

Kushina slouched back in her chair and was wide eyed. "Well… I'm sure there's an explanation. I mean, the Minato I'm married to would never do something like that." Saiyo put her hand on the red head's arm.

"I'm sure there's and explanation dear. Your husband is one of the most honorable and loyal persons I've met. I'm only saying what I saw. And who knows? Maybe he was helping some old lady like me back to her house guehaha!"

Kushina smiled at her friends antics. "Thanks Saiyo-san, for both the information and the reassurance."

The old lady nodded and smiled comfortingly at her. "Don't worry, dear, that's what us old people are here for, besides collecting dust, guehehe!" Kushina shook her head and smiled. Saiyo and her looked over to where Kouzuki was talking, and at the same time collecting a bit of a crowed.

"Your daughter's so loved Kushina dear. Your ought to feel proud of her."

Kushina nodded. "Oh we are. We are…"

"Oh! I think I see Minato over there! See at the intersection heading up the street."

Kushina looked and sure enough, there was Minato, his back to her and the very same girl Saiyo described on his back. Next to him was the pink haired girl and Kuchiki looking boy. Without another word she got up and walked out into the street. She took a few steps toward them, but was still quite a ways off, when her eyes spotted something that made her freeze in her tracks. The black haired man had been angled so that she could only see his side, but as soon as he turned a bit more, and the group began walking away, she could clearly make out the distinct symbol on his back. The red and white fan emblem of the Uchiha clan.

Her breath caught in her chest as the girl also possessed the Uchiha fan on her back. _'It can't be… An Uchiha?!'_

She was about to catch up to them when the pink haired girl stopped them and said something, causing them to turn around and down the other direction of the street; down _her_ direction. When the Minato turned around, her heart nearly stopped.

That.

Was.

Not.

Minato.

It was a carbon copy, with the only exception being the shorter hair and the odd whisker tattoos on his cheeks. _'Wait, whiskers?!'_

Sure enough he had three odd whisker marks on each cheeks, which oddly didn't make him look feline, but more canine.

Canine…

"No… I-…it, _can't_ be…"

They were approaching her way, and she didn't know what to do. If this wasn't her son, then she didn't want to look like an idiot, but if by some act of God this _was_ him…

She took refuge in a crowd nearby. As they approached people in the street began to stare their way. The Uchiha was obviously annoyed. "…-old you. There were less people the other way."

The pink haired Uchiha, who obviously must have been either married in, or the child of an irregular couple, turned her head toward the black haired man. "But we'd already gone that way earlier Sasuke. If we're here to see the sights, then we need to see _everything. _Not just every _vacant_ street."

The blond faced the other two and spoke. Kushina held her breath. Then she heard it, the voice of the man who very well could be her son. "I have to agree with Sasuke on this one Sakura. I don't think Hinata can get relaxed with this atmosphere. Right Hina-hime?" The girl on his back lifted her head and spoke softly.

"Its fine Naruto-kun, Sakura's right. We need to enjoy every-"

That's as far as Kushina heard. One word repeated itself over and over in her mind. _'Naruto… She… called him_ Naruto!! _C-can it really be…?'_

"N-N-Na…ru…to?" Naruto stopped when he heard the almost inaudible words whispered from behind him. He turned slightly to scan the crowd. After a moment he looked suspicious. "…Who said my name?"

Out of the crowed stepped an unfamiliar visage. A beautiful red haired woman to be exact. Her long deep-red hair reached down to just a little over her rear. She wore a yellow kimono with black creeping vine-like designs with roses and spirals along the stalk.

"And you are? No, more importantly, how do you know my name?" Hinata lifted her head from where it rested on Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke and Sakura both turned to look at the speaker as well, expressing curious glances.

The woman stood in the middle of the street, her hands wrapped in each other and holding them to her chest. "I-is that r-really you, N-Naruto?" She took a step forward. Then another one.

"Yes, but who is _me_ to _you?_" A tear threatened to stream down the woman's face as she continued to approach.

"You… You don't know who I am?" She asked a little hurt. Hinata got off of Naruto's shoulders and looked at her with curious eyes. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Should I?" Now the woman really did look hurt. Her face was downcast and thin tears were sliding down her cheeks. She raised her head again though and reached out a hand. She was close enough to touch him, and did, brushing against his cheek. His response was to grab her hand and pull it away from him, albeit, not harshly but firmly.

"What do you want?" He asked her, looking her directly in her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore and threw herself into Naruto's arms and began weeping. Naruto was so startled and unprepared that he fell backwards onto the ground. Sakura was surprised and just watched. Sasuke had his thumb in his katana, just in case. Hinata was also shocked, but was also, being her, very protective of her Naruto-kun, but when she saw that the woman was only hugging him and crying, she decided she wouldn't try and pry her off.

As she squeezed the life out of him, she then joyfully kept on saying, "Naruto! My Naruto! My baby boy! I've missed you so much!"

Naruto's ears could do nothing but hear those words, and only those words. All else was blocked out. Naruto instantly froze. _'B-B-B-B-BABY BOY?!?! What the hell?!'_

"What the Hell do you mean by that?!" He asked as he tried to wrestle his way out from underneath the red haired woman, to no avail. Said woman looked at him, tears still in her eyes. "N-Naruto… you… don't recognize me? It's me Kushina, your mother!"

Naruto's eyes widened to their maximum, and his brain literally shut down. With rational thoughts out of the way, emotion kicked in. water slowly but surely formed at the bottom of his eyes as they reflected the image of his mother. His mouth was agape, and he couldn't move any part of his body. "…K-Kaa-san…? I-…Is it really… you?"

Kushina never looked so relieved than when he said those words. She smiled happily before leaning down and hugging him for all it was worth. He was slow to move, but his arms somehow found their way around her back as he held her close to him and the tears began falling freely down his face. "K-Kass-san! I-I… I've always-"

"Shh, Naruto dear. I-It's ok now. It's all right. Every- everything will be fine now."

Hinata held her hands to her mouth as she silently cried in happiness for her husband; he had finally found the one who gave him life. The one who brought him into this world, and who would never love him more than anyone else in the world. As she watched Naruto cry in joy, she could literally feel the emotion exuding from him. He was, for the first time I his memorable life, basking in the love of a mother. The love that Hinata, no matter how hard she could try and replicate it, could never truly give him.

Sasuke looked happy as he watched his "brother". Sakura also had a similar expression to Hinata, but to a lesser degree. She looked over to Sasuke and saw him wipe an eye. Her look turned incredulous and whispered, "Sasuke! Did you just-?"

"-Zip it." he whispered back.

"Mom? What are you doing?"

Kushina zapped back to reality when she heard her daughter's voice. Her head shot up to see the bewildered eyes of her daughter Kouzuki staring down at her. Kushina looked back down and saw her son still holding on to her. _'My son… My daughter!'_

She looked down and gently pulled Naruto off of her and held his head up. "Naruto my child, I'm so happy to have finally met you, but we have things to discuss, and here is not the best place for a family reunion."

Naruto, despite his obvious desire to simply revert to a child attitude and curl up in his mother's arms, reluctantly nodded and pulled away from her. Kushina smiled and stood, lifting him up with her.

Kouzuki stood there with a stupefied look and continued to stare at her mother and blond stranger. Kushina looked slightly embarrassed, and nervous, and those implications were beginning to draw Kouzuki's mind to what appeared to be an "obvious" conclusion. But before she could voice her concerns, her mother began talking.

"Um Kouzuki, I know what this looks like, but I promise you I have a very good explanation." Naruto looked the girl up and down and noticed she bore a slight resemblance to his mother. Kushina turned back to her son. "Naruto, son, we'll continue this at our house, ok?"

Naruto could only nod, a happy smile on his face, and tears still streaming down his face, though now much less was coming. Kushina smiled and motioned for her son and daughter to follow. Naruto in turn asked his mother if his friends could accompany them. Kushina looked back at the Uchiha and was she could now see was a Hyuuga, and nodded, smiling at Naruto.

Naruto looked back and waved at the other three to follow. They complied and Hinata walked up to him and held his arm, smiling at him. Naruto was surprised to see her crying, and wiped away the tears. Kushina's back was to him so she didn't see it however.

"M-m-om…!" Kushina looked back and saw Kouzuki frozen in place, a bead of sweat trickling down her face as she pointed a shaky finger to the Uchiha boy. Kushina looked from Sasuke to Kouzuki and realized…

'_The Uchiha is the one who fought her!'_

Sasuke noticed the action and looked at her for only a moment before realizing who she was. "Oh, it's you."

Naruto looked between the two. "You two know each other?"

Sasuke smirked. "Something like that." The girl got an indignant face on and glared at him, obviously still scared of him, but now trying to hide it. "Sakura, I think we'll have to skip out on this one. I have a feeling that our welcome just ran out."

Kushina looked at the Uchiha and gave a knowing look. Though she knew that he was the one who had attacked and hurt her daughter, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, she also knew that he would feel awkward being around Kouzuki, as would she. Sakura, though she knew this was the same girl who Sasuke had attacked, kidnapped, and later had Sakura heal, wanted to see Naruto's reunion with his family. But a strong tug from Sasuke on her arm left her no room to protest.

Hinata, being the only other one was also going to leave with her friends, but her hand being caught by Naruto's kept her rooted in place. Said blonde gave her a wry look. "Where are you going?"

"W-well since this is a family thing, I just thought you would want to be alone with them." Hinata responded carefully. Naruto smiled though, and kept a hold of her hand.

"And if I recall correctly, you _are_ family." Hinata paused a moment before smiling and nodding.

Kouzuki shook her head and looked at her mom questioningly. "Mom, what are you doing with these people? And what were you doing with that kid there?!" Kushina smiled and looked at her daughter.

"They're coming home with us, Kouzuki. There's something Minato and I have to tell you. Both of you." She added that last part while, looking at Naruto. Both the blond and the younger red head had the same thing on their minds.

'_Who is that person and what are they to mom?'_

But these answers would remain unanswered the whole trip home. Throughout the walk, Kushina walked along close to Naruto, with Kouzuki close to Kushina. Hinata walked slightly behind Naruto early on, but Naruto pulled her up to him, making her walk beside him. Hinata smiled. She had originally still wanted to give him a bit of space, but it seemed he really did believe her to be part of the _whole _family.

Kushina looked over and saw the Hyuuga girl close to Naruto and wondered if _it_ were possible. She leaned over and quietly asked her son, "Is she your girlfriend Naruto?"

Naruto blushed slightly but shook his head. Kushina was a bit disappointed, but also a bit satisfied that she had finally gotten to be able to say that to her son. That is until…

"She's my wife." Kushina stopped dead center of the street in the middle of her stride. She looked half way in shock. _'Naruto is… married? _My son is married?!_'_ She fought a tear threatening to slide down her face and picked up her pace toward the house, wanting to wait until they were home before she let loose her emotions.

Kushina directed them to a medium sized house. Kids were playing in the streets outside, and greeted her and Kouzuki as they entered the house. Once inside, she led them to the main family room.

A tapestry with the Konoha insignia on it hung on the wall. There was a couch, and a futon perpendicular to each other, with a coffee table easily accessible to both were there people sitting on them.

Naruto walked in and took a look around before following suit and sitting on the couch by his mother. Hinata chose to sit on the futon along with Kouzuki, who was still waiting for an answer from her mother. "Ok, were here, now what is this all about?!"

Kushina smiled and looked at her daughter. "Kouzuki dear, there's something I need to tell you."

"…I'm listening."

"When we were shinobi of Konoha, your father and I told you that we never married, and I suppose you would think of us as the type to wait until after we were wed to… well, you know. But the truth is, we didn't, and we had a son."

Kouzuki blinked once.

Twice.

"You mean I have a brother?!"

Naruto was quick on the uptake. "I have a sister?!"

Kouzuki realized this blonde boy was the very person her mother spoke of and simply stared at him, as he did the same. Now that she looked at him, she could tell that he was the spitting image of her father, as she was her mother. "Y-you mean he's…?"

Kushina nodded with a happy smile. "That's right. Kouzuki, meet Naruto, your older brother."

Hinata looked from between the two, utterly at a loss for what to say.

Kouzuki looked at her mother after a few moments. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" Well, it wasn't on Kushina's question expectation list, but she could understand where she was coming from.

She looked down at the ground and frowned. "When your brother was born, a disaster struck the village, and the stress was too much for my body, and during childbirth I… well, I came here." She said with a sad smile. "I only had a few moments to hold you, my son." She looked over at Naruto whose face was also slightly crest-fallen.

She turned back to her daughter. "Your father died defending the village, but Naruto had survived. When we came here, we swore never to speak of him to anyone, lest they try and take advantage of him. Even if the Shinigami are honorable, we could never care more than when we protect our children. So we couldn't tell you."

Kouzuki sighed and looked away. "…I guess I understand where you're coming from, but still…"

Kushina sighed with a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'm glad…" She instantly turned to Naruto next though. "I'm so glad you're here Naruto. Your father and I have been anxious to see you, to have you as part of our family again. That is, if you can forgive us…"

Naruto looked at her with surprised eyes. Then he understood what she said. She sighed and leaned back into the couch. "…In the beginning, I did wonder why my parents abandoned me, but I was never bitter. People live and people die. But it's what you do while you live that you'll be remembered for. You two brought me into the world; and that is what I remember you for. And besides, this is both a curse, and a blessing." He said this last par with his hand over his stomach.

Kushina frowned as she noticed his hand movement. "What about your father?"

"What about me?" Those gathered jumped as they heard the new voice. It came from a man in the doorway. He had long golden locks, piercing blue eyes, and an angular face. They instantly knew who it was.

"Minato…" Kushina muttered sadly. The Yondaime looked from her to the blonde boy on the couch, and, while a look of surprise on his face, it was soon replaced by a sad smile.

"Naruto. I'm glad you're here son." Naruto got up and jumped into his dads arms, throwing both of them onto the floor. "I'm glad I'm here too dad!"

Minato was a bit surprised but he soon enveloped his sun in a fatherly hug. "So… you don't hate me?"

Naruto looked up and smiled. "Heh, I thought we both explained each to other fine when I fought Pain."

Minato's face changed from rigid to almost as if it had half melted. "Thank goodness!"

Naruto felt another pair of arms hug him from behind, and he saw his mother behind him, her arms around Minato and a hand brushing through his hair. He smiled and they stayed that way for a minute before breaking apart. When they did, Kouzuki was standing there fidgeting. Naruto quirked an eyebrow.

"S-so, I guess I need to call you Nii-san now?" Naruto smiled and ruffled her hair. "Hehe! You better believe it! I'm gonna have to be a role model for you now!" Kouzuki grimaced and when he removed his hand she glared at him before shaking her head to reset her hair. Naruto blinked for a moment before motioning across the room with his hand.

They all looked and saw a startled Hinata. She got up and hesitantly walked closer. "Kaa-san, Tou-san, I'd like you to meet my wife, Hinata."

Hinata blushed tenderly from the attention and brushed a hair back behind her ear. Minato looked at her stunned. Without even changing his expression he slapped Naruto's back hard. Naruto stiffened and rubbed his back. "What was that for?"

"You. Got. A. Hyuuga?! Dang son, you sure got major lucky!" Naruto blushed slightly and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. Minato stepped forward and shook her hand. "From me, you have my eternal gratitude. For loving my son; thank you so much."

Hinata took his hand but embraced him instead. "I should be the one thanking you! You helped create Naruto-kun, and I can never thank you enough for that!" Minato didn't know what to do at first, but settled for hugging her back.

Kushina stepped up as well and enveloped her in a hug. "Welcome to the family, Hinata-chan." For Hinata, this was one of the most emotional moments in her life. To actually be accepted by Naruto's parents was a major victory for her.

"A-arigato! So much!" She deepened her hg when Naruto joined the party, followed by Kouzuki.

"Wow, two siblings in one day! This is a bit overwhelming." Kouzuki commented as they all hugged. Naruto looked at her and laughed. "You're telling me."

* * *

_**Later that day…**_

"So we are in agreement?" Yamamoto nodded.

"We are to give this scroll to those in your world we wish to bring here, which expresses your understanding of the dangers of staying in your world for too long."

Pain nodded. "The attraction of Hollows has never affected us in the past, but I fear for what could happen. It is the only reason we are cooperating with you. Remember that."

Again the old man nodded. "Very well then. I believe the Ryoka are about to leave, no? Then it is also our turn to leave."

"As we agreed upon." The captain commander finished.

Pain nodded and walked out of the old man's meeting room.

* * *

Naruto and his family were all in the houses small garden, reminiscing about their pasts. "I'm sorry you had to die so young Naruto. It really is sad." Naruto looked at his new-found sister with an exasperated look.

"Oh boy…" Hinata cut Naruto off from saying anything more, knowing he was sick of answering that unspoken question. "Kouzuki-chan, Naruto and I died of old age, but for some reason probably due to the Kyuubi, we look like we're in our teens."

Kouzuki was still getting over the fact that her brother had, and still _has_ the most dangerous of the Nine Demon Lords sealed in his gut. When she had first heard that, she had to be sat down so they could explain the shebang. It was long and strenuous, but she finally understood it.

"…So dad… Why aren't you and mom Shinigami? Surely they wouldn't pass you guys up for recruitment."

Minato smiled at the memory. "Oh, _that _is an interesting story indeed…"

_Flashback_

_As his soul was sucked out of his body and mixed with the Kyuubi's Yin chakra, he could almost see the glee in the Shinigami's eyes as he devoured them. Minato closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pain, but none came._

_He opened an eye and saw that was a ways away from where he and the beast had battled. He looked around and the Shinigami behind him. He dared speak to it. "What's going on?"_

_The Shinigami rarely spoke, and now was no exception. But Minato suddenly felt the knowledge enter his mind. "…I see. The devouring thing is only for show if the soul is pure. I'm flattered you think so of me." A moment of silence passed._

"_So what now? Where do I go?" A simple look from the spectral creature and Minato knew the answer. His eyes widened. "Y-you're going to allow me and Kushina to pass on together?" _

_A slow nod. _

"_I… I cannot thank you enough, Shinigami-sama." He gave a deep bow _the_ God of Death. He straightened a moment after to see Kushina beside him, holding his hand, though he didn't remember her taking it. He looked back to the god. _

"_If not to be devoured in your belly, where do we go?" The God stretched out a hand toward them, palm out, fingers curled like scythes. Minato felt as if his soul was pulled from within him (which is odd since he _is_ a soul). In an instant they were in another world. "…Soul Society... So this is where."_

_Suddenly the gears in his genius mind began working again. He Shinigami turned to leave. "Matte, Shinigami-sama! Please! Please do us a favor before you leave." He bowed to the ground, as the creature turned back. Kushina followed suit, but didn't know where he was going. _

"_Please seal our abilities from outsiders. I don't want our world taken advantage of." The knowledge of Seireitei and the numerous "Shinigami" who ruled it had entered his mind when they arrived. The Shinigami nodded before vanishing into thin air._

_End Flashback_

"……..Woooww…" Naruto's eyes were wide. "I know, right?" Minato whistled.

Naruto thought for a minute, letting it all sink in. Hinata beat him to it. "So how does the whole 'Shinigami' thing work? There are thousands of Shinigami here, but you say that you summoned _the_ Shinigami."

Minato closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, he did not entrust that information to me, though I wonder what would happen if I summoned him in this spirit body with these spiritual powers."

Hinata remained silent after that, wondering how these Shinigami would react to their worlds Shinigami…

* * *

_**Early the next morning.**_

Pain looked at the Akatsuki gathered, along with the other non-Akatsuki members. All A-members were accounted for, along with Suigetsu, Karin, Haku Naruto and Hinata. Naruto's family was there as well, and Pain had gotten the pleasure of meeting them briefly. They were a nice family; the picture perfect one he ever saw one. Zabuza was there as well with several other Shinigami present.

The Ryoka were of the other side, saying their own goodbyes.

Pain cleared his throat. "Alright then. We've been granted pass by the Shinigami to live in the Human world. You've already been briefed last night about how we're going to be living. We'll be using out own specially made gigai, courtesy of Orochimaru, and thanks to the Shinigami preparations, accommodations have already been made for the majority of us. Those that don't have homes will be staying with the Ryoka until they are finished. But first off; Haku, are you sure you want to stay?"

Haku nodded. Dressed in his _now_ customary desert camouflage cargo pants, shinobi sandals, black T-shirt, and fingerless black gloves, he looked totally different that he did in his old hunter-nin outfit.

"Hai. I wish to stay here with Zabuza-sama. I've been separated from him once, and I don't wish to do so again."

Pain nodded in understanding. "Very well then. Naruto, Hinata, have you said your goodbyes?"

"Still working on it!" Naruto yelled from across the way where he currently was in the process of doing that very thing. "I guess I got to go."

"Are you sure you can't stay longer, son? I'm sure we could work something out." Minato said as Kushina cried a goodbye to her son. Naruto hugged her and looked back to his father. "I'm sure. I don't trust the Shinigami any farther than I can throw them. Well, I guess since I'm super strong that analogy doesn't work very well… But no, I'm afraid we can't. Not after what happened to Hinata."

Minato nodded in understanding. "I understand. I guess we'll still be able to keep in touch with those scrolls you gave us." Minato was referring to the special communication scrolls Pain and Karin came up with for telepathic communication between groups. Similar to Pain's **Gentōshin no Jutsu (Magic lantern Body Technique)**, the variation given to the Uzumaki/Namikaze's was capable of connecting the minds of each individual with range of the seal, making them enter a random mindscape and convene there.

Naruto nodded and gave everyone one last hug before waving goodbye and walking with his wife to the Senkai gate. He noticed that the Ryoka had already left, and it was now their turn to leave.

Pain was bidding farewell to Ukitake and Kyoraku, while the other shinobi gathered around.

"This is goodbye then. Until next time, Ukitake-san, Kyoraku-san."

"Don't forget to come back and have a drink with us sometime, 'k?" Kyoraku said, tipping his hat up with a smile. Pain smiled, barely, and nodded. He also walked back to the others and stood beside Naruto as he faced the Shinigami. "Farewell then, Shinigami."

Short and sweet. That was the way Pain liked it. Naruto wanted to give a bellyful to them, but he refrained. They all turned to leave and Pain stepped through the gate. He was followed by his other bodies, one of which was the real Nagato in disguise. He was followed by Naruto, Deidara, Hinata, Kakuzu, Sasori, Orochimaru, Itachi, Sasuke, Sakura, Zetsu, Hidan, Kisame, Konan, Juugo and Suigetsu.

The light faded from the door and the Shinigami breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

_**The next morning at school…**_

"Ok everyone! Take a seat!"

"Oh its Ochi-sensei!" Keigo said, seeing their teacher walk in the door and close it back behind her.

"Now I know it's the end of summer and you all are jittery, but you're just going to have to get over it. But before we start out first class of the semester, we have a few transfer students!" She looked down at her clipboard and mentally read off the names. "Wow, we have a lot this year!" She went over to the door and peaked outside it. Motioning with her hand a group of teens walked in the room.

A total of ten people walked into the room. Ichigo, Orihime, Sado, and Ishida all went wide eyed as they saw who it was that was joining them.

"Ok then! Let's have you tell us your names and something about you. Ok?" Ochi-sensei said in an overly-peppy tone. The first stepped forward and waved. "Sup? The names Houzuki Suigetsu, don't forget it! And if you say anything about my teeth I'll cut you up into sushi, got it?"

The teacher could see the spine-shiver of a majority of the students. Many of the bullies of the school didn't even pay attention, and she was sure they'd be paying later. Then she saw the grin Suigetsu gave and saw the jagged, but not unattractive "shark-teeth" he had. She could definitely understand his position. _'Ok… next.'_

The second guy stepped forward and the crowed of students began chattering.

"Wow, check that out!"

"His hair is oranger than Ichigo's!"

"He's huge too! Look at him; is he even a high schooler? He's bigger than Sado!"

Te person in question didn't flinch at these remarks, but spoke gently. "My name is Juugo. I've been medically diagnosed as bipolar, and my alternate personality it a bit…dangerous."

The students all sent a wave of chattering around the room.

"But I like to take walks, nature, and animals. And if I can, I'd like to avoid conflicts with any of you." He stepped back and Ochi stood silent for a moment.

"…Ok! That was… interesting." She went back to franticly searching through the files mentally saying,

'_There wasn't anything about a schizophrenic transfer student in here!!'_

"Anyway, next is Karin…" She stared blankly at the name on her list for a moment. "…um, what your last name?"

Karin contemplated that before answering. "Houzuki." The teacher looked from her to Suigetsu and back. "Ok then! Somehow it wasn't added to the list."

'_They look nothing alike!!!'_

Karin stepped forward and placed a hand on her hip and saying in a bored tone, "I just told you my name, and I like perfume, having fun, and Suigetsu." She cocked her thumb back toward her "brother".

"Aww that's so sweet! Next is Sasori…" Again she looked at her paper. "Ok, something's with the transfer information here, cuz I don't have a last name for you either."

"Don't have one." Said the red head who stepped forward. His cool gaze scanned the crowd. "My name I Sasori, and I love art, and am extremely impatient. With everything."

"Ehe… Short and sweet, eh?"

Sasori looked back at the teacher. "I hate waiting, or making others wait." Ochi-sensei blinked before nervously moving back to the list. "Alright then, I guess… Ok you two…" She pointed toward a long haired blonde and a long black haired kid. "…Just tell me whether you guys have last names either."

"Nope."

"I'm an orphan, I don't know my last name."

"Oh, ok. Well you're first." She pointed to the blonde and he stepped forward. His hair was in a topknot and covered half of his face. "My name's Deidara. I like ranged weaponry, like guns, archery, etc. Like Sasori I also love art, explosions, and have been diagnosed as pyrotechnic-dependant. In other words, if I don't see an explosion every once in a while, I go crazy. It's rare, but I guess you could blame it on my childhood, which I am NOT going to tell any of you! Kapeesh?!" Everyone in the room gulped and nodded.

"Good." He looked over at the teacher. "Ok, I'm done."

"Oooookkk…. I'm almost afraid to say it, but Orochimaru, your next…"

'_What have I gotten into?'_

"My name is Orochimaru, my hobby is to collect and train snakes. I like practicing kendo, and I want to try and find my real parents someday."

While whispers permeated the room about "snake-trainers" and "weird yellow eyes", the female portion of the room was sighing in adoration.

"Look at him, he's so cute!"

"Are you crazy, he trains snakes!"

"Who cares? He's adorable! And besides, he must be super smart to get into this school at his age."

"I know, right? He's like, thirteen."

Orochimaru sweat-dropped. He had expected his introduction to be off-putting but it obviously did the opposite. Of course, it didn't help that he wasn't that tall, and he looked like a school grader rather than a high-schooler. He palmed his face and let his hand stretch the skin as it slid down and off. _'I'm positive that this will not end well.'_

While he was thinking these thoughts, he barely acknowledged that Sasuke had been called forward. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like most stuff, but there are a few things I do like." The silence that followed indicated he was done, though the class had learned nothing about him. But that didn't matter to the girls. They were already fawning over him.

"Look at him, he's freaking hot!"

"I wonder if he's single…"

"I'd SO do him if he is!"

"Even if he isn't, I would anyway!"

These last comments would normally be too low for a normal human to hear, but unfortunately, the entire group in the front heard it. Sasuke mentally sighed. _'I think I'll let Sakura deal with them.'_

Sakura, practically fuming, but putting a fake smile on, stepped forward, taking the initiative, and started her introduction. "Hi, my name is Uchiha Sakura, and I'd advise you _not_ to make any moves on my brother. Because if you do, I'll tie you up and throw you in a dark alley in a red-light district. Understood?"

The entire time Sakura' hadn't opened her emerald eyes once, but exuded a threatening atmosphere that set all the guys on edge. The girls however, didn't seem to get the message. They just continued to drool over the poor boy. Sakura's eye twitched and she smashed the desk in front of her. This snapped all the girls in the room out of it and stared in shocked fear at the pink haired girl in front of them. "I said, _is that understood?_"

All the girls suddenly felt like shrinking into their chairs and hiding their faces behind open books. Sakura smiled in satisfaction. "Good. And I like trivia games and medical research." She finished with a big smile, as if completely innocent.

Ochi-sensei was holding her clipboard so hard it cracked, and as if on cue, she snapped out of it. "Alrighty then! On to the next one!"

Both of the last two stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"My name's Namikaze Naruto-"

"-and I'm Namikaze Hinata."

"I like Ramen, working out, brawling, and spending time with Hina-chan."

"I like cinnamon rolls, flower-pressing, picnics, and spending time with Naru-kun."

Short and sweet, that's the way the like it. Of course the guys in the class were practically caught in a daze when they saw the pale-skinned beauty. Drool was literally pouring out of their mouths like a waterfall. A tick mark materialized on Naruto's face when he saw this. "And in case you didn't notice we're _married_."

The whole class looked at each other in surprise, the guys breaking out of their trance. "Married?! At their age?!"

"Awww, I was hoping they were siblings, at least then the girl would be single…" Half of the guys were crying typical anime tears. Naruto noticed a hand was raised in the back of the room. Quirking an eyebrow he looked toward the teacher, who shrugged.

"Um, yeah, you in the back."

"Are you two really married? And if you don't mind my asking, what's with her eyes?"

Naruto looked over and noticed that they had forgotten to have Orochimaru change the eye of Hinata's gigai.

The scientist child in question averted his gaze in surprise. _'Whoops. Guess I'm just used to seeing eyes like that I forgot to change them.' _

Naruto, ever quick on his verbal feet, answered as best he could. "Yes, we are married. It's a really long story, but just know that if any of you even look at her the wrong way, I'll kick your ass! And just because she's blind doesn't mean she can't fight back." He looked at the student in the back. "That would be a yes to both questions."

Ochi –sensei could swear that her hair was beginning to turn grey just from being around these delinquents. "Ok, I guess introductions are done. Everyone take a seat, if you can find one. If you can't We'll try to get one for you tomorrow. Now to begin the lesson…"

Ochi Misato, without waiting for them to get settled began the lesson. Ichigo and the others were stunned. They had heard the New Souls were going to leave Soul Society, but they hadn't expected them to come to Karakura. Naruto passed right by Ichigo, but the orange haired teen could tell Naruto had glanced at him. Sado was originally surprised to see Juugo, who was equally as large, and yes, even _larger_ than himself, which he had never encountered before. Orihime was glad to see Karin and Hinata again, as she had grown fond of them during her time in Seireitei and brief interaction with them.

Ishida had stayed stoic through the entire ordeal, except the brief introduction of Uchiha Sasuke. For a moment, Ishida had thought he had spoken unconsciously, but realized that it was Sasuke who was speaking in a voice nearly identical to his own. Other than that, he hadn't moved or even really paid attention.

Ichigo however, he had a few things to discuss with these New Souls, or at least, with Urahara.

The day progressed with little awkwardness, and the New Souls for the most part were treated like any new student, but for the most part were left alone.

Currently it was free period before lunch. And all the students were gathered around in their own little groups.

One specific group was Honshō Chizuru, Arisawa Tatsuki, Asano Keigo, Kojima Mizuiro, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Yatsutora Sado, and Ishida Uryuu. They were assembled out by the track in the back of the school. They had been discussing their days over the summer. Of course our group of four had to make up a story about what they did. Eventually the discussion drifted to the new students.

"Oi Ichigo, Ichigo! Did you see that one guy's hair? It was totally blue! Isn't that weird Ichigo?" Keigo, being himself, offered a light atmosphere to the usually grim atmosphere surrounding this particular group. Ichigo sighed in annoyance, and Tatsuki turned to him. "Yeah, what about that? They seem interesting."

He looked up from where he was leaning against a tree. "I don't really care either way. I mean, we get new students every year. Besides, they kind of formed their own group."

Tatsuki looked at him and smiled as she cocked her head. "Oh come on, you can't tell me your not the least bit curious about them."

Mizuiro looked up from his phone and smiled as well. "They seem nice enough."

Keigo looked absolutely distraught. "Whaaat?! How can they seem nice?! They threatened us, _threatened us!_ You don't come in on your first day and threaten your class mates!"

Chizuru smiled dreamily. "Those were just the guys. The girls were nice and cute, just the way I like 'em!" Tatsuki bashed her on the head, though not enough to hurt, but enough for her to get the idea.

"Chizuru, you know exactly what those guys would do if they caught you saying something like that right?" Chizuru brought her face back up and winked at no one in particular. "Hell yeah! They'd totally agree to-"

BOOM!!

They all turned toward the source of the explosion. Over on the other side of the track, the long haired blonde stood just outside a smoking crater. "What the Hell was that homo?! You wanna say that again to my face, h'n?!"

The wind blew the smoke away to reveal a singed junior. "I-I t-thought you were a g-girl…" The _boy_ with long yellow hair looked infuriated.

He put his hand into a back pocket and pulled out four red spheres. "Try acting like a non-hormonal teenager!!" He stuffed a hand down the guy's pants, surprising the surrounding spectators. When he retracted his hand, he pulled the guy up and drop kicked him half way across the field, before another explosion emanated from the man's groin.

"A thing o' beauty. H'n." He said as he looked back at the second crater. The group of normal teenagers sweat-dropped as they watched the spectacle. "…Well, he did say he was a pyromaniac…" Ichigo said. Uryuu pushing his glasses up on his face, causing the sun to reflect off of them.

Hoping for a better talk than what they got with Ichigo, Tatsuki turned to Sado. "Sado-kun, what do you think about that other tall guy? He looks like he could take you on in a straight fight."

Sado was silent for moment before looking at him from across the way. "…I'm curious about that myself."

"Uh-oh guys, looks like sparks are gonna fly." They all looked up at Mizuiro's words. The blue haired boy was walking towards their general direction and was just passing the second crater, when a light-yellow haired man came up beside him and gripped his shoulder. The man was flanked by four others. They all recognized the first man as Ōshima Reiichi, a bully in the school who tried to force Ichigo to change his hair color early in their freshman year.

"What's he talking to Suigetsu-san for?" Orihime asked to no one in particular.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly. "I can take a guess…" They focused their ears on what they were saying.

"What do you mean, 'change my hair'? What's wrong with it?" The smaller boy asked.

Reiichi leaned his head down to the other boy's level. "Nothing's wrong with it. I just don't like it. It looks weird. Who wears blue hair anyway?" The other four laughed and repeated his words like the good lackeys they were.

The smaller boy rolled his eyes and shook off the guy's hand. Reiichi didn't like that and yelled at him. "Hey! I'm talkin' to you punk!"

The blue haired kid kept on walking. "Yeah well I'm done talkin' with you. See ya, bitch." Reiichi was instantly infuriated; he ran up to the new kid and threw a punch to the back of his head. The next instant, he found the "puny" boy's elbow in his gut, and his feet in the air.

"The name's Suigetsu. Remember it punk." Reiichi fell to the ground and groaned in pain. "Y-you dare hit me? T-that's it, you're going down!!" He got up and the other four joined him in the assault.

The whole area had stopped to watch the scene unfold. Orihime looked frightened for him and called out. "Oh no! Someone needs to help him!" She was about to run over to him when Ishida grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Inoue-san. He can handle himself." She looked at him for a minute before looking back toward the five charging men. Suigetsu smirked and ran toward them, arms at his side, fingers ready to "shred". The first in line jumped at him and Suigetsu ducked, upper cutting him in the gut. The second tried to tackle him while he was occupied only for Suigetsu to dive under him while he was in the air. Landing on top of his friend, he cried out as he felt a sharp pain in the middle of his back. Suigetsu removed his elbow from the man's backbone and caught the fist of the third man, letting him push far enough to get face-to-face with him.

"Hehe." The man could swear he could feel his teeth shatter from the massive punching force of another upper cut. Even while he was in the air from the force of the attack, Suigetsu punched him in the gut, sending him flying into the fourth man. Reiichi was the only one left charging. He snarled and cocked his fist back, ready to send Suigetsu flying. Suigetsu's eyes hadn't left him. The young shinobi smirked, showing his shark-like teeth and momentarily shocking Reiichi. Suigetsu pulled his left fist back and threw it forward, crashing into Reiichi's right. The snapping could be heard from across the court-yard, as Reiichi's fist crumpled and flew back into his face, along with Suigetsu's still moving hand. Reiichi went flying back a good ten feet from the impact.

The whole crowed "ooh"-ed and "aww"-ed as Suigetsu retracted his hand. "And for the record, this is my _natural_ hair color, douche bag!" he called out to the barely conscious Reiichi.

Some of the student's cheered the boy on, and other's looked on in amusement. Just then the bell rang for lunch and everyone went back inside to grab their food, since nobody would be caught dead buy food from the cafeteria.

On the way back to their spot, Orihime had an idea. "Why don't we invite them over for lunch with us?"

Keigo almost went into shock, as Mizuiro looked up from his phone, but said nothing. Ichigo, considered the idea, and Sado remained silent, as did Uryuu. Tatsuki smiled at her friend. "That's not a bad idea Orihime! I'd love to meet that Suigetsu kid. He can sure throw some punches!"

Chizuru popped up and agreed whole heartedly, but was warned by Tatsuki to not attempt anything with the girls from the group. The others in the group eventually agreed, but weren't overly-enthusiastic as the three girls were.

When they returned to their spot, they looked around and saw the new kids sitting by themselves. Orihime got up and dragged Ichigo with her to talk to them. When the approached, Ichigo was slightly creeped to see them all face them at the same time. Orihime was not dismayed the least, and continued her approach. When she was within spitting distance, some of them smiled at them, either remembering her or just acting nice.

"Ohayo! I'm Orihime Inoue. Yoroshiku!" Naruto looked up and smiled at her. "Yeah we remember you. It's nice to see you again." He looked toward Ichigo. "I trust you learned your lesson?"

Ichigo went from apathetic to partially enraged. "Shut up! We _were_ going to invite over to eat with us, but if you insist on being a jerk…"

Naruto smirked. "Were you now? We'll if it's ok with everyone else, I think I'll join you. It'll help break into the school if people think we're making friends." The others nodded their heads, got up, and followed. When they came over, the group of eight met the group of ten.

After a few brief re-introductions, they all sat down and pulled out their lunches.

Suigetsu opened his lunchbox and pulled out a yogurt cup and a spoon. Naruto got out a pair of thermoses and handed one to Hinata. He opened his and pulling out a fork, dug into his pre-heated ramen. Hinata similarly ate her red bean soup. In fact, the ferocity with which she ate her food matched Naruto's.

Sasuke had onigiri, while Sakura had anko dumplings. Karin, Juugo, and Sasori all had a thermos of chili soup, being more adventurous in trying the new food variety here. Orochimaru meanwhile, had hardboiled eggs and using discrete amounts of chakra in his hand, heated his scrambled eggs. Last of all, Deidara had bakudan (boiled eggs in surimi.)

The variety of foods each person had was shocking to the others, who mainly had chips and sandwiches, with the possible exception of Orihime, since no one _really_ knew what she put in her food. Ichigo honestly wondered if she was pregnant half the time.

The rest of the lunch period went by with the norma humans asking the shinobi stories about their past, and questions as to their attributes (Orochimaru's yellow eyes, Juugo, Sakura and Suigetsu's naturally colored hair etc). And with the end of lunch came the end of entertainment for the day. Thus, the rest of the school session went by quickly. By the end of the day the shinobi all had homework that was bound to be forgotten on their way home.

Suigetsu, Karin, Naruto, and Hinata were going to be staying in a medium sized two story duplex, and Deidara was just down the street, sharing a similar accommodation with Sasori, each having their own side of the duplex.

Sasuke and Sakura had their own little apartment only ten minute from the school (by foot), and Juugo was in the apartment next to theirs. Last of all, Orochimaru was in a studio apartment across the street from Sakura, Sasuke, and Juugo. All of this was paid for, and would continue to be paid for by the Shinigami.

Orochimaru was a funny case however, since he looked like a thirteen year old in his gigai (which was nearly identical to his now child-like spiritual form, with the purple pigments around his eyes being removed, and his skin only slightly tanned) and owned his own apartment. And an expensive one at that. Ah well, that is the advantage of having someone else pay for your life.

Yes, tax free is the best, isn't it

Orochimaru was a funny case however, since he looked like a thirteen year old in his gigai (which was nearly identical to his now child-like spiritual form, with the purple pigments around his eyes being removed, and his skin only slightly tanned) and owned his own apartment. And an expensive one at that. Ah well, that is the advantage of having someone else pay for your life.

Yes, tax free is the best, isn't it?

* * *

**_A/N:_ Well thats chapter 16 for ya! Next chapter will most likely start the Arrancar arc. YAAAAAYY!!!!! EXCITING INNIT?!?! Yeah, anyway, I hope you can see what I meant by "I'm no good with scenes like that." The reunion scene took me a few days to do, simply because I was stumped on what I should do. This was the best I could come up with, and for me, it sucked pretty bad compared to my other work. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too bad, but I look forward to doing the next chapter!! WOHOO!!! SS ARC IS FINISHED!!!**

**Oh and, trivia for ya!**

**What do ****Takashi Kondo, ****Noriaki Sugiyama, ****Ken'yu Horiuchi, ****Hideo Ishikawa, ****Takahiro Sakurai, ****Nobuo Tobita, ****Hōchū Ōtsuka, ****Nobutoshi Kanna, ****Taiten Kusunoki, ****Kōsuke Toriumi, ****Junichi Suwabe, ****Daisuke Namikawa, ****Rikiya Koyama, ****Ryōtarō Okiayu all have in common? (The names are given name first, family name last. You'll have to do a little research for this; use wiki.) If you get it right, you get special mention in the next chapter, and your greatness will be known by ALL!!!! **

**Ahem, sorry, little dramatic phase there. Anyway, please REVIEW!!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLEASE REVIEW!! PLLEEAAAASSSS REEEEVIIEEWWW!!!!!!**

**Thanks! ^_^**


	17. Chapter 17: Nihilism, Rage, Immortality

**A/N: Yay!! I finally finished it!! During the Christmas break I went to Colorado for my G-pa's 80th B-day party. He's a fairly big deal over there, being the amazing attorny that he is... Anyway, in the FOUR total days I had to write in the car, I made majority of this chapter, and just finished it tonight! So enjoy the next instalment of Souls and Swords!!!**

**Oh! And thanks go out to **Kage Bijuu**, **TsknRaider**, **zentary**, **litewarior4**, **Neko-Graphic**, **Soraya the All Speaker**, **YukiKitsune103**, **Payce99**, **Alehhandro**, **The Laughing Pheonix**, **Huheh**, **gtar1984**, **Dude4515**, **FireKitsune1**, and **Truth and Reconciliation **for their reviews on the last chapter! Thats a total of fifteen (15) reviews!! Well done!!!**

**Since I'm bored, I'll go ahead and say why I think that Naruto characters stand a chance against Bleach characters: There are several reasons, and I will name the chief ones for and against each.**

**1. "Naruto characters can't see Bleach characters! Pwnd!!"**

**Not so. It is specificly said in the Naruto manga that the older of the two apprentices of the Sage of Six Paths was blessed with spiritual energy, and his decendants became the Rinnegan and Sharingan users (I'm also going to assume the Byakugan users as well, but we can't be sure if they are included). **

**2. "They don't mean REAL spiritual energy."**

**Yes they do. For instance, Gamakichi said that to use "Natural Energy, you need to die." Now, lets recap, what do dead people use? Spiritual energy! And when one becomes completely still, they simulate death, meaning they can draw upon spiritual energy even while alive.**

**3. "Well... either way, they don't stand a chance against Bleach characters!"**

**Oh goody! I can have fun with this one! Lets do comparisons, shall we? Aizen's Kurohitsugi, wich is a Lvl 90's spell, only slightly lacerated Komamura, and he admited having only been able to command less than a third of the full power. Now lets look at Pain, Madara, Itachi, Kisame, Zabuza, Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, Raikage, Killer Bee (Kirabi), Deidara, and many more! Their abilities can create massive explosions, attacks, and effects. Aizen wants to destroy Karakura, but he has to use a device to do it. Pain can do it on his own. I could say more, but the evidence speaks for itself. (Yes, i purposfully nerfed the fight between Pain and Aizen before. I cant have them destroying Seireitei... more than necessary :P)**

**And to the challnge I posted last chapter, I congradulate **The Laughing Pheonix**, **litewarior4**, and **YukiKitsune1**, for corectly guessing the answers! The answer is they are all Seiyu that do both Naruto and Bleach voices! Look them up on wikipedia and see who they do! There are also many more that I didn't mention, but are also there. Well done all!!!**

**Anyway, enjoy the next instalment of Souls and Swords!!!**

* * *

**_Chapter 17: Nihilism, Rage, and Immortality. _**

_**A week passed…**_

Nothing much, at least, exciting had happened in the seven days they had been in Karakura. All of the adults, mainly those who were too old looking to become students, would walk around town when they had a chance and enjoy the local area. Nagato, the real him, had disappeared with Konan on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, only to come back they day after and say everything was fine.

Since his body was restored after becoming a Soul, he no longer needed the walker, nor did he have to worry about hiding his piercings, since he discovered many in this world have weirder designs than him.

What he and Konan were up to, few knew, those being only Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke. All three had chuckled at first but promised not to tell anyone else. Aside from that, they hadn't had any events to manage, other than the few going to school, so the overall boredom was getting to them.

There was the occasional Hollow that was either dispatched by Ichigo, or a nearby shinobi. Ichigo preferred that the others didn't fight them since only Zanpakutō could purify their souls and send them to Soul Society.

Secretly however, some of the Shinobi felt they were doing the Hollow a favor, believing that Soul Society wasn't worth going to. But they never said that, even to each other. During that time however, a new student had appeared in Karakura High, and it had become apparent to Karin and Hinata that he was _not_ what he appeared to be.

Hirako Shinji was an odd boy, with a unique style of clothing, and a creepy smile. Ever since that day, Ichigo had begun acting odd, becoming depressed and introverted. He didn't speak to very many, and went straight home from school without talking with anyone.

Many of his friends were beginning to worry about him. But it was not the shinobi's business, so they stayed out of it, despite some of the more emphatic member's protests.

Last night though had been a startle. Several high level Hollow had entered Karakura and attacked the city, but before Ichigo or any of the shinobi could get to them in time, they were all destroyed. While surprising, no one stressed about it, and opted to simply forget about it.

Currently, Naruto, Suigetsu, Hinata, and Karin, had all gone out for a couples night out, and while Sasuke and Sakura were invited, they had decided to stay home to finish up some… _"recreational activities."_ Konan and Pain politely declined, having to look over the others while they were gone.

However, were they to know what they would miss, the small group would have wished to stay for the day.

* * *

"So you understand your orders, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked from atop his throne.

The Cuatro Espada nodded. "Enter Karakura, find Kurosaki Ichigo, and if necessary kill him."

"Very good. You may bring anyone you wish with you on this mission. You may encounter other resistance than just the Kurosaki boy." Ulquiorra bowed and left the room.

* * *

'_Now, who to pick?'_ Cifer walked through the winding hallways of Las Noches, wracking his brain for the answer to that very question.

'_It could be a good opportunity to learn firsthand Kimmimaro's abilities… but then he did ask for time to train a while before officially becoming my Fracción. Perhaps another then…'_

"Oi! Ulquiorra!"The small figure stopped walking and turned around. "What is it Yammy?"

The hulking figure of Yammy loomed into view. "I heard you were heading to the Human world for some fun and I want to come!"

The green eyed man looked at the giant for a moment. "It isn't necessary. I can handle it on my own."

"Come on Ulquiorra, don't hog all the action! I'm comin' with ya!" Yammy complained.

"… Fine you can come. Do you understand the mission?"

"Eh, I got the idea." Yammy said, scratching an ear.

"Good, then let's go." He said, turning and walking the other way.

"O-oi! Wait up!" Yammy said, running to catch up to his partner.

* * *

Kimmimaro looked at the field of sand on the floor of Las Noches. Dozens of white, skull-capped soldiers lay on the ground. None were moving.

"Well done Kimmimaro. You defeated all of my soldiers, and not a single scratch on yourself to prove this battle even took place." The white haired Arrancar turned to his good friend.

"Actually, as much as it pains me to say it, it was more like a massacre."

Kimmimaro faced him with the same usual expression he gave everyone. "This is not just a training session for myself, Rudobon. It is also for yourself. If I cannot become stronger through these exercises, then it is because you are too weak. Which is why you must also learn."

The bull-horned Arrancar nodded in understanding. "So then, that concludes today's training?"

The former shinobi nodded and walked away as did Rudobon. Both had become mild friends after Aizen introduced them. Kimmimaro guessed it was for their mutual osteophilia.

As the Kaguya headed back to his room, he felt _that_ coming on again. He hurried, and when the door was securely shut, he half collapsed against his bed. He held his hand of his Hollow hole, which was burning in pain. He breathed heavily as the feeling pulsed. _'Why does it do this?'_

Soon though, the feeling lessened, and eventually disappeared. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat on his bed. His right hand was held over the opening in his solar-plexus (I think that's right), and his fingers traced the inside line. He looked over at the clock on his bed-stand. _'Seventy-eight seconds… 3 more than last time… and 7 more than the one before last… What's happening to me?'_

For the past month or two, the pulsing pain had begun growing and growing, to the point where he nearly collapsed, until he found the time-pattern of each attack and prepared himself for it with mild painkillers.

Every other day, he had an attack, with a slight constant pain between attacks. What caused them he didn't know, and he didn't want to tell anyone, lest Aizen deem him unworthy of service. That was something Kimmimaro simply wouldn't allow, so he kept quiet. Nevertheless, it didn't stop him from wondering about it…

* * *

"Ohh! Sasuke, harder! Ah!" Sakura moaned as Sasuke pushed himself into her again. Sakura panted as she held onto him, wrapping her legs around him. "Slow down Sakura, I can't keep up with you." Though he said this with a smile.

Sakura smiled up at him and nodded an "ok." He sped up, but not too fast, since he wasn't as ferocious as Naruto and Hinata had been acclaimed to be, and subsequently wasn't as energetic in the sack. However, he was no less loving to his pink haired wife, willing to give her the world and more were she to ask of it. He just had trouble keeping up with her.

Even as they climaxed together, Sasuke knew his wife would want more in ten to fifteen minutes. They would lay there for a close quarter-of-an-hour before getting back into it, and just as they were, Sakura and Sasuke felt the sudden appearance of a duo of Reiatsu.

"Sasuke!" she cried out in surprise. He sat them both up, to where she was now sitting on his lap. "What is it Sakura?" He asked seductively, despite him knowing what it was about.

"Sasuke, we have to go help out with the-" She was stopped when she looked into the eyes of the Sharingan. She felt her concerns leave her as she succumbed to the pleasure she was receiving. Sasuke smirked. "You _really_ need to hone your senses. Can't you feel it?"

The question was rhetorical since she didn't exactly have a mind to think with, being caught a pleasure stimulating illusion from Sasuke's Sharingan, but he asked anyway. "With _them_ taking care of the problem, we won't even have to lift a finger." He continued pleasuring his wife as _they_ traveled toward the crater that appeared on the outskirts of Karakura.

* * *

"Buhaaa! No matter how many times I come here, this place never changes… Boring as always. And the reiatsu in the air is so thin you can hardly breathe!" Said Yammy as the smoke around them began to dissipate.

"I don't want to hear any complaints. Like I said before, I was fine with coming by myself. The only one who forced you come was yourself Yammy." Said Ulquiorra from behind him.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." He said as he climbed out of the crater they had formed. However, his attention was directed to the voiced of scared and confused civilians gathering around. Each one with a different question, but a similar concern. Yammy began getting annoyed them, much faster than would be expected.

"…The hell are these guys? Don't just stand and stare like idiots! Maybe I'll just have to suck out your souls." The giant puckered his lips and inhaled deeply. From all over town, souls were sucked straight into the sky and toward Yammy's awaiting mouth.

"Blegh! That was awful!!" he said as he scratched his chest.

"That was to be expected. There's no way those diluted souls would be appetizing."Ulquiorra said as he also climbed out, hand in his pockets.

"But they were staring at me like I was some sort of freak show!"

"They weren't even staring at you; they were looking at the crater."

"I get it, I get it. But it still pisses me off! Besides, does it really matter how many we kill?"

"One is all we need. Anyone else it just a waste of time."

"All this crap for just one guy? Gimme a break!"

"I've heard there are only in this world who have enough reiryoku to challenge us. All we need to do is sift through the trash. Quite a simple task if you ask me." The genn-eyed man's attention was directed to a young black haired girl who was struggling to get up amongst the pile of bodies nearby.

"Interesting, it seems one survived." Yammy looked over as well and **Sonido-**ed in front of her, grinning. "So you escaped my **Gonzui**, huh? That means your spirit power must be pretty strong, right? Ulquiorra! Is it this one?!"

Ulquiorra would have shaken his head, but it would just have been wasted energy. "Take a good look idiot. Her soul's being crushed just by being near you. She's trash. Nothing more."

"Ch. So she survived by chance then? I won't waste my time on leftovers." He pulled his leg back to kick the girl into a splatter of blood, guts and shattered bones. "Get lost!"

He swung his leg forward.

* * *

Two figures leapt from tree to tree, their forms mere blurs as they both raced to the scene of the action, both for separate reasons; one for Kami. One for money.

* * *

'_Well that was pathetic.'_ Ulquiorra thought as Yammy pummeled Kurosaki into the ground. _'It's odd though. His reiatsu is fluctuating badly. One second its trashy, and the next it's even higher than mine. Strange…'_

"It's over shitface! Time to die!" Yammy yelled as he raised both arms above his head. One arm had almost been severed by the Ryoka/Substitute Shinigami's initial attack, but it hadn't quite cut through the bone. Both hands plummeted toward the orange haired kid, and impacted, sending debris every which way. But as the dust was clearing Yammy felt something was off. His hands should have felt blood and guts all over them, but he didn't.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed as he lifted his arms to see what he'd hit. His eyes widened however, when a small fist came hurtling toward his face. The power behind it was amazing, and it smashed the left side of his mask, breaking some of it off. He recoiled back a few steps and held his face with a hand while looking back at the one who had hit him. "W-What… the hell?!"

The wind picked up and cleared away more of the smoke. The silhouettes of their bodies could be seen, and amidst the cloud of dust, a flapping corner of one of their robes could be seen. On it was a red cloud.

The rest of it cleared away when a tan arm swung to the side. Beside him a red staff whizzed through the smoke as well, dispelling it on his side. "YEEEHAAA!! Let's fuck, bitches!!!"

"I hate to agree with him, but I do wonder how much Soul Society will pay for your corpses."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. He had been warned about this. The two were Akatsuki. And worse; Aizen had yet to identify their abilities. _'Perhaps I can help with that.'_

One wore a mask that his both his face and hair, while the other wore a high collard, more open cloak. He also had a red staff, which on closer inspection revealed it to be a triple bladed scythe.

"Kakuzu! I got the small fry!!" Without waiting for a response, he rushed forward and swung his scythe. Ulquiorra was surprised by the suddenness of the attack but quickly recovered. Pulling out his right hand he blocked the quick, almost messy strikes and slashes by the other. The clashes of steel on **Hierro** resounded in the clearing.

"HEHA!! YEHAHAHAA!!!" The man laughed manically as he twirled the staff above it head and slashed downward. Ulquiorra sidestepped the attack and plunged his right hand into the man's heart. _'Something's not right here.'_ Ulquiorra thought as he retracted his hand and the man swayed. _'Surely if he's an Akatsuki he would have been tougher to beat.'_

However, his eyes caught sight of Yammy and the man called Kakuzu boxing it out. Yammy's massive fists were stopped cold by the other's much smaller hands.

The Akatsuki pulled his right fist back and swung forward. "Hnn!!"

Yammy's defense crumbled beneath the man's earth shattering punch. Ulquiorra's eye narrowed.

The man's skin had turned black.

Yammy went flying into the trees behind the clearing, and Cifer stepped in to attack. He **Sonido-**ed beside the man and thrust his hand forward, fingers extended. His eyes widened when he heard the clang of his hand on the man's skin. The he looked down and saw the man's arm touching his skin, as if he had tried the same attack.

Kakuzu's entire body had turned black, and he had tried to pierce Ulquiorra's heart the same as the Espada had tried with him; fingers out, like a makeshift spear.

Both of their eyes widened. _'This man…'_ They thought in unison.

However, the white robed one had less time to think as the whistling of a blade through air caused him to look to the right. Not half a foot from his neck was the same red scythe the other Akatsuki had used.

With the Akatsuki swinging it.

"HAHAHA!!!" The Ulquiorra raised his free hand up to block the attack, and the attack clashed against his skin.

"Damn! What a fucking buzz kill!!"

Kakuzu: "It seems your skin can't be pierced easily. We were a wrong match up."

Hidan was about to respond when he found his head removed from his body, the Espada behind him with his sword drawn and held out to his side. "You're correct. It _is_ a one-sided fight."

Hidan's head fell to the ground and rolled to Kakuzu's feet. He looked down and slowly picked it up by the hair and raised it to his face. A rough slap to the cheek brought an unexpected response from it. "Fuck! Ow! What the fucking hell was that for Kakuzu?!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened to their maximum. "Impossible…!"

"You let yourself get beheaded again. That was for having me fix you up every time." Kakuzu said. He looked from the head to the Espada and back to the head. "I hope you like soccer."

"Why the fuck would I like socc-OWW!!!!" Kakuzu drop kicked Hidan's head, quite literally toward Ulquiorra's face. The Espada ducked to the side, his eyes still wide, but had to block a strike from a now headless, scythe-wielding Akatsuki.

"What are you?" He demanded as he parried the blade. The body moved to the side just in time to dodge a flying forearm, courtesy of Kakuzu, heading for Ulquiorra's face. Ulquiorra blocked with his right arm, while holding his sword with his left. His eyes now narrowed when he saw the arm retract back to its owner by means of an assortment of black strings.

Yammy lifted his head just in time to get nailed by some flying object. He rubbed his head in pain as he lifted the object to his face. As his vision cleared he saw that it was a head. But not just any head; a _talking_ head. "Hey you pussy! Let go! That fucking hurts damn it!!!"

"WAAAAHHHH!!!!" Was Yammy's reaction as he instinctively crushed the head to a bloody soup. Even as it dripped off of his fist Yammy jumped up and away a little ways. "What the hell was that?! That was damn freaky!!"

He looked up to see his partner having trouble fighting the other two. "Two?!" One of them he noticed was headless, but was still fighting as if he had one. "Ulquiorra! What the hell is going on?!"

The Espada ignored the question as a slash from Hidan's scythe nearly nicked him. Not that it would have damaged him. He caught the weapon right below the first blade and severed the arm holding it at the elbow. The body fell backwards in a heap as Yammy blindsided Kakuzu. A crater erupted from beneath him as he supported his defending arm.

His green eyes shifted to a flying object, but it was too late before the red scythe spun into his chest, impaling him. Ulquiorra's right hand was outstretched, smoking from the speed with which he threw the former opponent's weapon. Kakuzu gasped, and fell to his knees, before groaning and falling forward, dead.

"Ulquiorra! What the fuck is going on here?!!" Yammy inquired, in a vulgar manner. Ulquiorra stayed silent for a moment, staring at the body of the masked Akatsuki. Something wasn't quite right. He finally broke his gaze and glanced at the body of the other man, now missing an arm and a head. Yammy also looked between the two, but was mostly fixated on the headless body of Hidan. When Ulquiorra looked back at Kakuzu, there was nothing to see.

Ulquiorra's pupils shrunk incredibly small and his eyes widened. _'Impossible!'_

"**Suiton: Kurosui!**"

He turned just in time to see a black mass of water rage toward him and his partner. He held out his hand, parting the water as it hit him, but only enough to not get hit by the full brunt of the attack. The amount of water wasn't enough to submerge Yammy though, who fired a **Cero**, parting the water which spilled into the cracked and gouged earth. As the water receded, Ulquiorra's eyes bounced in their sockets as he searched for the attacker.

"EAT THIS!!!" Yammy spun just in time to see Hidan's half re-grown face holding his scythe in his left hand as he swung it horizontally at the Espada's neck. Yammy, needless to say, was nearly ready to have a panic attack. This man simply _wouldn't die_.

He barely ducked, feeling a small scrape against his neck. He roared and backhanded the man out of the sky. He felt bones crushing as he hit him, and blood squirt out of the man's mouth. "Why won't you DIE??!!!" he said as he charged up a red **Cero** to blast the grey haired man.

Before he could fire, a pair of hands smashed into his skull from above, clamping his mouth shut and the **Cero** exploded in his face. He fell to the ground, panting, having a few teeth missing, others chipped, and over half his mask gone or busted. Not to mention scrapes, cuts, bruises, and welts all over his body.

Kakuzu landed and glared begrudgingly at the Cuatro Espada. Ulquiorra was beginning to _not_ be surprised as Hidan slowly stood. But he _was_ surprised to see Kakuzu alive. He had absolutely no remark to their constant returns from the dead. He watched as Hidan's right hand slowly finished reforming, and he cracked his newly created neck.

Kakuzu had a rip in his cloak from there the scythe's largest blade had pierced him and a little blood to show for it, but other than that looked perfectly fine. "Oi Kakuzu, this guy seems stronger than balls-for-brains over there. How about a damn good tag-team for old time's sake?"

"I was thinking the very same thing. Let's do it." He clapped his hands together and Hidan charged.

Ulquiorra deftly deflected the attacks, not needing to worry about his attacks hurting him. However, even while Hidan kept up his attack, Ulquiorra's keen eyes spotted danger.

Kakuzu, inhaled and pulled down his mask, just enough to barely see his mouth. "**Fuuton: Atsugai!**" A gale force ripped from his mouth, capturing both his partner and the Espada in its tearing vortex. The attack ground the earth to dust as it traveled back into the trees and tore them from the ground, destroying anything in its path.

Before the attack dissipated though, a neon-green light exploded from the receiving end of the blast of wind. The gale vaporized, leaving a singed Hidan and a peeved Ulquiorra, his left index finger pointed at the immortal. "I see. You took advantage of your partner's immortality to attack both of us. Tricky."

"Oi! You fell for it too, so what's that say 'bout you, huh?!" Hidan said pointing the back end of his weapon t the pale man. Ulquiorra didn't respond, but a green sphere appeared on his outstretched index finger. Hidan had seen him do the same thing earlier and rushed him.

"Like I'll let you do that again, asshole!!" But before he could leap into the air, he was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and thrown to the right. He realized it was Kakuzu's doing that he was thrown, and was about to wonder what the hell he was doing, when he realized he was flying toward an enraged Yammy.

Kakuzu had seen Yammy prepare to attack and threw Hidan at him, while preparing to defend against the Arrancar's Cero. Hidan realized this. He went from surprised face, to smirking glee.

He righted himself in the air as Yammy continued his charge. Hidan pulled his scythe back, as Yammy did his fist. . The massive fist hit the ground.

Followed by the arm attached to it.

Hidan landed with a crazed laugh, and Yammy stood there for a moment before the pain in his right stump registered. "WAHHH!!!!!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!! HEHAA!!"

Kakuzu braced his left palm for impact, and impact it did, with the green-cyan beam of energy. Kakuzu grunted quietly as the beam intensified. He regretted not hardening his skin, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He narrowed his eyes as he was overwhelmed. The green energy engulfed him, carrying on far into the forest.

Hidan looked up from Yammy to the smoking path that Kakuzu had disappeared into. "Damn it, that asshole; dying on me that quickly." He was spurred from his thoughts by yell from behind him. He turned into the face of an incoming red Cero. He swore as the beam descended on him.

Ulquiorra watched as Yammy's Cero made short work of the Akatsuki. Even if the Akatsuki could survive without a head, he couldn't survive without _anything_ left.

His eyes widened slightly however when the smoke cleared. There in place of where the Akatsuki had been was now two of the three people Aizen had told him about. The first was Shihōin Yoruichi. The second was Urahara Kisuke. Urahara stood with a shield erected between Yammy and the Akatsuki, who was crouched behind them.

"Sorry we're late everybody!" The blonde man sung out. Yammy looked surprised, but only for an instant before he looked pissed. "One after another… These punks keep coming out of nowhere. Well it you're gonna line up like that, then I guess you wanna die first, RIGHT?!?!"

Yammy swung his only arm left down at the trio, only to then be grappled by the purple haired woman. He was thrown upside down, head first into the ground.

"What… the hell?!" He said from the ground. Urahara smirked as Yoruichi had a bored scowl on her lips.

She turned and passed by Urahara. "I'll tend to Inoue, give me the medicine."

"Yes ma'am!" Urahara said, handing it to her as she passed by. Yammy smashed the ground and stood up again. "Wait, you bitch!!" He reached out to grab her. She **Shunpo-**ed onto the top of his hand and delivered a spin-kick to the face, where his mask had already been shattered. The force of the kick threw his neck out and crushed some teeth. She followed up by leaping into the air and hit him in the head with a left handed smack down. His face impacted the ground as dirt soared into the air.

Yoruichi walked away calmly over to where the battered form of Orihime lay. Half her body was covered in blood. The former captain bent down and lifted the young girls face up to hers.

"Y…Yoruichi…-san?"

"Hai?"

"I-Is Ichigo-kun…?"

"He's fine. Don't trouble yourself. By the way, can you drink this?"

Orihime nodded weakly. "H-hai." Behind them, Yammy twitched. He slammed the ground as he rose up. "BUHAAA!!"

"Persistent bastard, aren'cha?" Yoruichi asked.

"*huff, huff…* I'll kill ya… I'll fuggin'…" He reared back and opened his mouth. "…KILL YA!!!"

A red sphere formed in the back of his throat and grew increasingly larger. Yoruichi's eyes opened wide as she realized that she and Orihime would probably be obliterated if they were hit.

Hidan grinned ecstatically. Urahara simply stood there, having an idea of what was going to happen. Yammy let loose his Cero in a wide beam, burning into the ground and cutting into the forest.

"Hehe… How'd ya like that? You're all crumbs now! There's no way you could dodge my Cero, not at this… range?!"

The dust settled at that last word to reveal a battered and burned Hidan. But Even Yammy could tell something was different. He rose up. "The hell?! You took it?!"

Hidan laughed."I kinda forgot to pray before I jumped in here. It's the least I can do for Jashin-sama's forgiveness."

Hidan straightened and Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. Just like his partner's, his skin had turned black, but with the vaguely familiar human skeleton in white. But unlike his partner, who seemed to harden his skin when he did so, this man was still heavily injured.

"You should be feeling it r~ight about…now!" Yammy looked surprised for a second before clutching his right side with his left hand. Hidan also rubbed his right side, but didn't cry out like Yammy did. Instead he smiled, pain only a little evident on his face. "Nn! Oh yeah! That's the shit!"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes again and tried to grasp the situation. _'The Akatsuki was hit in his right side. The same side Yammy is holding.'_

Yammy was in serious pain. "W-what… the… fuck?!" He said between breaths.

Hidan smiled. "No one can escape my curse. Especially not atheistic bastards like you!!"

Ulquiorra stood in shock as his sharp mind was turning. Hidan laughed as he pulled out a collapsible javelin-like weapon. "Now, let's experience some exquisite pain together!"

He flipped the spike around with his fingers so that the point was aimed down. "Hehehe…HehahaHAHAHAHA!!! _Shiné_!!"

He gripped the weapon in both hands and swung downward to impale himself with it. Ulquiorra, if he had indeed come to the correct conclusion, knew that if he did nothing Yammy would die. Thinking quickly, he fired a neon-green bala at the immortal, blasting the weapon from his hands.

"Tch. KAKUZU!!" Ulquiorra's eyes widened when he saw the second Akatsuki leap up and prepare to smash his partner's head into the ground. Ulquiorra finally decided to stop fighting from the sidelines and step in to save Yammy.

In the space of a second he had Sonido-ed over to the immortal and kicked him farther into the forest, where he formed a crater on impact. Yammy recoiled in pain as he felt the same pain of the attack, only confirming the Cuatro's suspicions.

He again Sonido-ed behind the masked Akatsuki and prepared to blast him into next year when a crimson light climbed its way in between them. "**Sing, Benihime!**"

The red wave of reiryoku was deflected easily by the Espada's thick **Hierro**. Urahara was slightly surprised by the fact, but Ulquiorra turned away from him and sheathed his sword. "Yammy, come. We've achieved our objective." Yammy groaned deeply as he got up from where he was kneeling, but made no objection.

Ulquiorra snapped his fingers and a Garganta opened to the side of him. "We will return to Aizen and tell him that this so-called 'Shinigami' he's had his eyes on is trash; not even worth killing." Ichigo's eyes were invisible to the Espada, but he could tell he was in some form of despair at the moment, having been so unable to do anything against them. Both of them stepped through the portal and it closed behind them.

As soon as it did, all spiritually aware beings relaxed, if only slightly. Hidan walked out of the mess of trees he had inadvertently created, readjusting his broken jaw from where it had nearly broken in two. "Fuck that hurt like a bitch!"

"Shut up Hidan. You always complain about getting hurt, and then scream in ecstasy when you hurt yourself." The Bounty Hunter commented.

"Shut yourself you bastard… always playing dead like a fucking pussy." The religious immortal countered.

"Hmph. Anyway, I suppose we should thank you Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san. I've heard a little about you, but not a lot unfortunately."

"Aha! It's not a problem! Very few know me personally. Though I suppose we should be thanking you. You were able to get here before we did, and you probably saved the life of Kurosaki-kun here."

Kakuzu turned to the disheartened Ichigo. "Isn't he the man who defeated Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Kisuke nodded and adjusted his hat. "One and the same. Doesn't look like he's on his best leg today though."

"Whatever. Are these bodies of any use?" Kakuzu said, changing the subject to the dead bodies of the humans who were killed by the 10th Espada.

"Regrettably no. Without their souls, they're dead for good." Yoruichi said from where she was tending Orihime.

"Good." Kakuzu said right before sending a mass of black tendrils into one of the nearest bodies, shocking the two ex-Shinigami.

"If I may ask… What are you doing?" Urahara asked, slightly disturbed, but also interested. Kakuzu regarded them only for a moment before focusing on the body.

"Unlike my partner, I'm not indefinitely immortal. I have the amount of lives equivalent to the amount of hearts I steal from living beings."

Urahara quirked an eyebrow. "But they're dead now, so are they not useless?"

"Not currently. The brain keeps functioning up to about ten minutes after death. And if the brain still works, then the heart is still in working order. It just needs a little kick start." He said as the shifting mass of wires receded from the unfortunate body, wrapping around the un-beating heart. Kakuzu sent a small shock of electricity through his tentacles and into the heart. All of a sudden, the heart began beating again, furiously at first, but slowing down to a moderate pace, at which point more black tendrils connected to it and drew it back into his cloak.

"That replaces the one that Hollow took." Kakuzu said as he rubbed the now closed wound on his chest.

Urahara smiled slightly. "Yaré yaré… Anyway, Ithink its best if we all head to my shop and get cleaned up. I'm sure Naruto-san will want to know what you two were up to when he returns, no? Better look good for when he arrives." He sang out as he turned and they all went about "cleaning up" the scene before "cleaning up" themselves.

* * *

"So you have five hearts, huh?" Yoruichi asked Kakuzu. She was sitting cross-legged in her panties and corset finishing her food. Kakuzu stood leaning against a nearby post with his cloak absent. His back covered in stitches and four distinct masks. Though to him they looked like ANBU masks, to the others there, they looked like something… _much_ different.

His arms were crossed as he glanced around the room lazily. "That's it in a nut shell. I don't mind telling you because you're an ex-Shinigami, but I expect this to be kept from anyone associated with them."

Yoruichi nodded, deciding it best not to tell him that they were still working with Soul Society, in their own way.

As odd as this man's technique was, she couldn't argue its capability. He was incredibly powerful. She sighed as she finished her food. "You're sure you don't want anything?"

He nodded. Two reasons: he didn't really feel hungry, and he knew part of her offering was because he had yet to take off his mask, which he knew was bugging her. Why stop?

"I'm fine, but I'm sure Hidan will want to go to a buffet when we leave. His regeneration abilities are knew, and since he can't die, he is capable of regenerating his head, as well as inner organs. Normal Regeneration of that scale can't occur because of the amount of energy needed. So to keep his energy high, he needs to eat a lot. Not that he minds I'm sure…"

She smirked and leaned back. For some reason Kakuzu didn't seem the least bit interested or affected by her minimal amount of clothing. In fact, most if not all the Shinobi seemed to be immune to seduction. She figured it was from strict training and past lifestyles, which was partly true. Kakuzu had lived well over a hundred years before he died. And being as rich as he was, he could afford the best, and he always got it. But when you always have the best, why settle for second? That was the main reason why the semi-immortal was unaffected by the woman's condition.

"From what I understand, your foul-mouthed friend _has_ been eating a lot. Tessai has been cooking non-stop to feed him, though he says he doesn't mind it. He's using your friend as a guinea pig for his new recipes." She smirked.

Kakuzu chuckled. "About time someone did. He's got a genocide-complex, of sorts, and tends to kill anyone who pisses him off. Something tells me though that he'll bare the food, if he wants to eat at all."

"Hello hello! Anybody home?" A voice called from the front of the shop. "Back here Naruto!" Kakuzu called back, not moving but turning his head in the directing of the front. A few seconds later Naruto and Hinata walked through the door.

"So I hear you two have been having some fun while I was away Kakuzu." Naruto said with a grin. He nodded and unfolded his arms, placing his hands in his pockets and readjusting his stance against the support he was leaning on.

Naruto grinned. "You know the drill; spill it."

Kakuzu sighed and began.

* * *

**A/N: Well I hope you liked this one! It was mainly a fight scene, so there wasn't a whole lot of character development, EXCEPT! I gave you all a small hint regarding one of our Akatsuki friend's true abilites. Hehehe... Well, I dont have much to say here, except how sorry i am this chapters late and a little shorter than the rest. **

**Well, anyway, till next time! **

**Ja ne!**

**P.S. PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE!!!!! I just want to say review that you are all review a very good review audience and I review hope you wil continueto review be faithful to this review story ^_^ **

**P.S.S. Theres a hiden meaning in the above statement, can you guess it?**


	18. Chapter 18: Lockin’ Horns! YYEAH!

**A/N: Finally... _Finally..._ I finally finished this chapter!!!! YES!!!! Truth be told I lost my drive to do this chapter until I sat myself down a few days ago and forced myself to write this story. I've also been busy with playing games like COD: Modern Warefare 2 (P.C. version), and EVE Online. A _lot_ of EVE Online now that I think of it... Anyway, if you want to know what my name is in either one send it in P.M. NOT BY REVIEW!! Use P.M.'s for that, not the reviews. Lol P.M.s... I made a pun, sort of...**

**Anyway! Yes, i know some of you have been waiting eagerly for months for this chapter, and other of you may have simply waited for a few days, but i just want you all to know that I appreciate all of your support, no matter how old of a fan you are! So I give thanks to ,**skepsis66** , **Kage Bijuu **, **litewarior4**, **Awsome guy**, **lightning blade49**, **TsknRaider**, **zentary**, **Alehhandro**, **Arashigan16**, **Payce99**, **Clemerl**, **Dude4515**, **The Laughing Pheonix**, **ennui deMorte**, **NaruHinata forever**, **hi **(Realy? Hi? Come on man),** Skelo**, and **Elfen Sky** for your amazing and extremely supportive reviews!!! I realy do appreciate you guys and your fanaticism with this story of mine :P No seriously, thanks guys, it means a lot. **

**Well, that done, we now move on to the main attraction! I give you... THE _EIGHTEENTH_ INSTALLMENT TO S&S!!! WOOOOT!!!!1!!111!1!!010010010101**

**(Lol, binary... XD)**

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**Chapter 18: Lockin' Horns! YYEAH!!!**

"…so Kakuzu and Hidan, with the help of Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san, were able to fight them off. Kakuzu said he somewhat enjoyed it. I don't know about Hidan, I don't usually talk to him much." Naruto said to the silhouette of his father. The green shaded rainbow color of his parents stood before him, as part of Nagato **Gentōshin no Jutsu**, which he was keeping active at that very moment from behind Naruto. His father's blue eyes were the only normal color, and distinguishing feature that Naruto could make out, and Nagato assured him that it normal for it to be like that. His mother's red eyes were also the only noticeable feature about the spectral shadow before him.

"Well, I'm glad they weren't able to get hurt. It sounds like any normal person would have been killed by them." Minato said.

Naruto shrugged. "They're like zombies; just because they can tank, they think they don't have to get serious. Most of the time Hidan lets himself get hurt, and Kakuzu only really starts fighting after he loses his first heart."

"Everybody has their own way of doing things dear. You have to respect them for it." Kushina said, he voice full of motherly wisdom and love. Naruto sighed as he heard it. He'd gone for so long without it that whenever she spoke it was as if a wave of calmness and serenity flooded over him. He smiled lightly, though to them it couldn't be seen, as from their point of view, Naruto was only a dark figure. "Yeah, your right."

"Anyway son, Kouzuki told us that Soul Society will be sending down a team of elite fighters to help better protect the town. I didn't know if you knew already so I thought I'd tell you." Naruto's eyes narrowed, and that they _could _see.

"I know, I know. 'Shinigami are the devil', but it's what they've decided to do. Don't kill the messenger." The older blond said. Naruto sighed again and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just tired of them. Why can't they just leave us alone?"

Neither of the parents had an answer for that. They looked at each other before looking back at their son. He finally brought his head back down and opened his eyes again. "Thanks for the information. I'll let the others know."

The adults nodded. "We love you, Naruto." Kushina said, her soft smile invisible to her son. Naruto smiled back contentedly, even though it too, wouldn't be seen. "I love you too." He waved goodbye and received as much from the other two as they fizzled away.

He sighed and got up from where he sat on the floor. Nagato watched from where he sat on a reversed chair, leaning his head and arms on the back. "So what now?"

"We tell the others. They might as well know to be ready." Naruto said, stretching as he rose. Nagato nodded, his long red hair covering an eye. "I'll tell them. You go see what Orochimaru is up to. I think Konan told me he's slacking on his grades. Just because he's a genius doesn't mean he can skip schoolwork."

Naruto sighed again. The teachers had been piling it on the past week or two, and several of their group was having trouble keeping up. Deidara and Suigetsu had to have Karin and Sasori help them out. Said puppet master was acing chemistry, and the residential red head was getting top grades in math. Of course everyone knew it was because she was seeing the answers sheet through the teacher's eyes. Honestly, Naruto wondered why they didn't just give them the answers first so the students could look at it, then the problem and figure out how they got the answer. It was _so_ much easier!

He shook his head to clear it and walked out of his apartment and down the streets of Karakura. He wore his old orange and black outfit that he had when he came back from training with Jiraiya-sensei, minus the headband. The only few alterations were that the sleeves were rolled up to his biceps, and he had it unzipped all the way down and was wearing a white undershirt beneath. Apparently it was a good look in this world.

The sidewalks were occupied by everyday pedestrians, but not to the point where they were crowded. The sun was setting, with only half of it visible over the horizon. He walked on calmly until he got to Orochimaru's. Knocking twice, the door opened to reveal a young Orochimaru in a white T-shirt and black sweats. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Naruto standing there. _'It's kinda hard to hate him when he looks like a twelve year old.'_ The blond thought.

"Um, can I help you?" The young voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Nagato said your grades are slipping. Pick it up or you'll fail this semester." Orochimaru rolled his eyes and walked back inside, leaving the door open for Naruto to follow. Doing so, and closing the door behind him, he followed the black haired boy over to the kitchen. "Want anything? Got eggs… Got a _lot_ of eggs actually… Some rice… some ramen-"

"Ramen."

Orochimaru popped his head out of the fridge to stare at Naruto with an annoyed glance before grabbing a cup of instant ramen and tossing it in the microwave. After turning it on, he walked over to his couch and sat on the back of it. Behind him was his main living room with the whole wall made out of glass windows that gave him a great view of the city, day or night. "I've been busy lately. Research and stuff."

"But not for school?" Naruto asked.

Orochimaru shook his head. "It's about us. Well, some of us anyway. You for example."

Naruto cocked his head and crossed his arms. "Go on."

"Well, to start out, we all know about Hollows. Spirits who couldn't pass on and became corrupt. Now, when we were in Soul Society, Itachi told me that many of the Shinigami compared your Kyuubi State with a Hollow. That got me thinking. We all know where the Bijuu came from, but what exactly are they made of? Chakra. Chakra is the mix of physical and spiritual energies that we generate. So why would our physical and spiritual energies be compared with a Hollow?" The buzzer from the microwave sounded and Orochimaru went to get the ramen.

"Um, maybe because the Bijuu, especially the Kyuubi, had the most powerful and corrupt chakra ever?" Naruto offered.

Orochimaru came back over and handed the cup to Naruto. "Don't be stupid, I'm being serious." Naruto shrugged innocently.

"I began to think, on a more philosophical level, why that would be, and this is the answer I've gotten. All humans have a dark nature, no matter how pure or kind they act, or feel the really are, there's that small part of them buried deep down that is pure evil. And considering that we humans are impure beings, our mixing that impure physical energy with the impure spiritual energy makes the nature of that energy, namely chakra, evil in nature. But there's a bad part."

Naruto slurped his food, but kept eye contact.

"The bad part is that we've now mixed chakra with reiryoku. You yourself said that reiryoku gives life to chakra, and if chakra is an impure energy…"

"Then the impure chakra becomes the 'Hollow' part of the reiatsu. Chakra and reiryoku mixed create Hollow energy." Naruto finished.

"Precisely. And the Kyuubi is the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, with a literal _infinite_ amount of chakra, now fused with reiryoku." Orochimaru left the implication hang in the air for a second before Naruto picked it up.

"Kyuubi's chakra is now becoming Hollow energy, and so is all our chakra. Does this mean we'll all become Hollows?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "I don't think so. Our energies may have mixed, but chakra is still in there, and since it's created from physical energy, we will remain human."

"But you just said they mixed together. Doesn't that mean chakra is gone?" Orochimaru sighed.

"When I say 'mixed' or 'fused', I don't mean the physical intermingling of the energies. It's more like they work together to create a new energy that we manipulate. We still have chakra, and we still have reiryoku, but when we draw on our powers, the two energies mix together and create Hollow energy, which is what we end up using. Understand?"

Naruto thought for a moment before nodding. "Good. I'm tired of explaining it to you in 'stupid'." Naruto glowered at his former nemesis before throwing the ramen cup at him. The pale boy simply ducked, even though he was facing away, and the cup fell into the trash can without a splatter.

Naruto continued to glower as he got up and stretched his neck. "So what _else_ have you been working on?"

Orochimaru looked back at him innocently.

"Please, you don't expect me to be dumb enough to think that's the only thing you've been distracted with."

Orochimaru smirked and rolled his eyes half way. "I can't tell you. If I did you would kill me outright for even thinking of it, but I think that once you see the complete project, you'll be well pleased with the results."

The young Orochimaru smirked, his sharp fangs showing. An image of the other Orochimaru flashed through Naruto's mind. _'That's right… he may look young, but part of him is still the old Orochimaru. Science is part of his being.'_ The former Hokage shook his head and walked back to the door.

"Just get it done. And do your schoolwork from now on!" He said finally before closing the door. Orochimaru scoffed slightly. "Science can't be rushed. Not this kind." His thin tongue brushed against his lips and shot out to grab an apple from a bowl on the counter. Bringing it back, he bit into it, chewing thoughtfully. _'Now then, on to the testing phase.'_

* * *

**Los Noches, Hueco Mundo.**

"There you are, Kimimaro." Came a cool voice from behind him.

"Ulquiorra-dono. What is it?" The white haired Arrancar looked at the approaching Espada with interest. He currently was standing on the wall of Las Noches with the wind whipping at his cloths. He liked the wind. It calmed him for some reason. Ulquiorra walked up beside him with his hands in his pockets. "You weren't at the meeting earlier. Everyone was debriefed about the mission."

"…My apologies. It slipped my mind." Ulquiorra said nothing for a moment before he handed a small folder to his Fracción. "This is the information gathered." Kimimaro opened it and skimmed through. "…Who are these combatants? I don't recognize the style."

Ulquiorra stared off into the distance Kimimaro had previously been looking at. "A group of souls from another world. It seems, they are powerful enough to fight us. Fortunately, they have a small feud with the Shinigami, so their aiding them seems unlikely. They're looking out for their own interests."

Kimimaro didn't look up from the folder. "Why would they interfere then?"

"It's most likely they were simply protecting themselves." The Espada answered.

"Makes sense…" There was a silence that pervaded the two of them, the wind providing the only thing keeping it from being awkward. "Ulquiorra-dono… May ask you a personal question?"

Ulquiorra looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Go ahead."

"Do you remember what it was like to live?" Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at the odd question. "I assume it would be no different than now, minus a few elements."

"No, I mean more like… Do you remember your life?" Ulquiorra didn't answer right away. Truth was, he _didn't_ know. He didn't remember at all. Most normal Hollow remember their past perfectly, but those who live in Hueco Mundo for long enough will forget their lives. Ulquiorra was one of those people.

"No. I don't."

"I think I do." Ulquiorra glanced at his subordinate briefly. "It's been coming back to me in flashes; vague, jumbled, and incoherent. But the images, they seem so familiar…" The Kaguya looked down to an open palm and flexed his fingers.

The Cuatro Espada watched him for a moment before responding. "What happened in our pasts is irrelevant. All that matters now is that we serve Aizen-sama. It's your mind; do what you want with it to entertain yourself. However, don't let it interfere with your duty as a tool of Aizen."

Kimimaro nodded. "Of course, Ulquiorra-dono. And thank you."

Ulquiorra was already walking away and didn't answer. Kimimaro looked back out to the sand of the endless desert. For a few minutes nothing happened. He simply stood there, thinking.

"That's right… Aizen-sama is my life now. What he wills, I will do. Aizen-sama's… will… Ai…zen… NGH!!!"

The next thing he knew he was doubled over coughing blood on the ground, the pain in his Hollow hole too excruciating to even scream out. He fell to the ground, barely breathing, blood dripping from his mouth.

_For a moment time stood still, or more precisely, _his_ time. He clutched his head as agony rocked his nerves. In that brief instant, he opened his eyes to see a boy, no older than seventeen standing in front to him. He was in a dark room with electronic equipment scattered around. The boy had grey hair and glasses that hid his eyes due to the computer screen's light from beside him. He appeared to be talking, but it was all garbled, like some messed up voice synthesizer. He looked smug, but also concerned._ 'Who is this person? Someone from my past? I don't recognize him.'

_For a while he spoke, Kimimaro trying to decipher the garbled sounds and translate them. Then, for only a moment, he could have sworn the words made sense, but then they went back to unintelligible. He narrowed his eyes, the pain in his body vanishing in this… memory? _

"_# u#de###a#d ##at yo# w##t #o #a#. Or#chi#aru-sama #s #e##ai#ly ## g###t #ain, #nd ## i# a cr##ic#l s##ua#io# l##e #e#er b#fo##."_

'There it was again. What was it he said?' _The person turned to regard somthing beside him, his eyes invisible behind the glasses that framed them. His grin made him all the more menacing. But then from beside him, a familiar voice spoke up, in clear sounds that resonated through the chamber. "You're right… I no longer have the capacity for the transfer… In fact, it's difficult to discover my purpose now that I've lost everything." _

_Kimimaro slowly turned his head, fearing what he might see._ _There beside him was a man lying on bed with medical tubes connected to every limb of his body, lines running from bags of liquid into his mouth poured a strange green fluid into it. A sheet of cloth covered his face above his nose. On it was a strange pattern of lines and symbols arranged in a circular pattern with long spokes coming off of it._

_The man began to sit up, the cloth falling from his face. "However, I finally understand. Although he may not be me, I will bring the new container here… Even if it costs me my life." Kimimaro watched as he rose, revealing even more tubes connected the back of his head and spine. He raised his head, and the other man smirked. Kimimaro's eyes widened and he took a frightened step back. "This is how I show my thanks to Orochimaru-sama, and my way of repaying my uselessness."_ _He raised his head to reveal… _

_Kaguya Kimimaro._

No doubt now. This was a memory, or a very bad dream. Either way, his eyes snapped open. He breathed quickly for a moment before he realized where he was. _'I must have collapsed here.'_ he slowly stood up and looked down to see his blood splattered on the floor. Realizing he'd coughed it up, he wiped it off the corners of his mouth and scuffed it into the ground. He felt a small pulse on his Hollow hole again, this one a mere pressure-like feeling. He looked down at the sands far below him and placed his hand near the hole in his chest. _'This pain… these dreams, or memories… I need to find out what they are.'_ He took one quick look around before walking away. _'Could that man really have been me? He was so sick…'_

Then his mind began catching up with him. _'Orochimaru… That name… It seems familiar. Orochimaru…'_ The name so easily flowed out of his mouth, as if it were some long forgotten word that he had just rediscovered. _'I need to find out more about this 'Orochimaru'.'_

Feeling a slight twinge in his hollow hole again, he looked down. His eyes widened when he saw small thin black lines surrounding the cut out of his chest. But as soon as he saw them they glowed like magma and receded into the hole itself. The pain instantly stopped. His eyes widened. _'What _was_ that?'_

* * *

Sakon gripped his head in pain. "Guh…! Nnnnn! What… the… hell?!" The hole that so obviously identified him as a Hollow, right above his right eye, pulsed angrily with torment. He fell to his knees gritting his teeth. Then in an instant, it stopped. He felt a slight burning for a moment before it vanished entirely. He huffed slowly in pain. "I wonder… what's going on?" This wasn't the first time this had happened.

* * *

**Karakura Town, Japan.**

Night had fallen, and the shinobi all went to their respective homes for rest. However, not all of them actually "rested". Some of them were too restless. Sasuke stood atop the roof of his apartment, out of his gigai; his Uchiha crest proudly stamped on the back of his shirt. Sensing that he wasn't alone, he looked across the rooftops to see Suigetsu and Juugo standing on top of their own residences. Suigetsu's blade was absent, but Sasuke had no doubt that he had it somewhere close.

Without it, he seemed rather calm, almost troubled. It was refreshing, considering he was usually bloodthirsty beyond reason. Juugo was also calm, but he always was when not rampaging. Sasuke took this as a good sign that he was beginning to control is destructive impulses. He directed his gaze back out to across the city, not focusing on anything but seeing everything.

He wondered why he was so anxious. It's not like there was any danger. Right?

* * *

**Unknown, Karakura.**

A lone figure kneeled on a rooftop farther away. His front shadowed from the crescent moon behind him. He moved only when the presence of five others. He narrowed his eyes at them. "…Ready?"

All five of them nodded.

"You didn't let anyone see ya, right?" The first figure said as he stood.

"Of course not," Said the first of the others. "Although, in coming here… I couldn't help noticing some very powerful spiritual signatures; ones that Ulquiorra failed to include in his report, that is."

The first one looked out toward the city, knowing he was right. "Tch! Turn your **Pesquisa **to full throttle!" Each of them bowed their heads and channeled their senses. In their minds, greenish flames appeared all over the city.

"I knew it… The signals are multiplying like crazy!!" The first one said, the moon now shining a bit of light on him. "I bet they even went so far as to call in some replacements from Soul Society… Well, looks like we got our work cut out for us, boys. Like I said… killing them ASAP would have been the best plan of action!" The moonlight illuminated his blue hair and intricate mask that covered one side of his jaw. "That's why I said you were full of shit, Ulquiorra…!!"

The Arrancar turned to his compatriots. "D-Roy, Shawlong, Edrad, Nakeem, Yylfordt. Let's go. Don't hold back… Don't even bother distinguishing one from another. It doesn't matter if they only have a miniscule speck of reiatsu… I don't want you to leave a single one of 'em standing! We're gonna kill 'em all!!"

* * *

Juugo narrowed his eyes. There was something on the wind tonight. He didn't know what it was, but he was certain it wasn't good. The nocturnal animals were few and far between, but each one had similar feelings. "Poor creatures… Frightened, and yet they don't even know why." He spied an incoming object and raised his hand to defend himself when he realized it was simply a small bat. The creature latched onto his upraised arm and swung down, hanging from there.

Juugo smiled and scratched the small animal's head, which it thoroughly enjoyed, squeaking in delight.

Bats were always misunderstood. They were cute, but only if you got to get up close to them. They were just like any small animal, frightened of what they didn't understand, and humans were one thing they simply couldn't comprehend. But Juugo was an exception. Animals loved him as much as he loved them. Not only that but he could also understand what they were saying. It helped a lot in getting along with them. However, unlike Suigetsu, whose love of animals was often one sided, Juugo made sure to understand the animal's feelings. If you didn't understand why the felt how they felt, the conversation would amount to nothing.

The bat leaned its small head into the massaging finger, enjoying its comforting feel. It suddenly stiffened and folded its head inside its wings, as if trying to hide. "Hm? What's wrong?"

The animal squeaked in fear and flew off into the night, Juugo looking after it. _''Just like the others…' _He thought sadly. He turned and looked in the direction the bat fled, narrowing his eyes at the unknown threat that lay there. He glanced to the side and saw Suigetsu watching him from the corner of his purple eyes. When he realized he had been seen, he returned his gaze to the city. Sasuke hadn't even looked at them since the first time. Then the feeling came simultaneously.

"Guys…" Suigetsu began in a low whisper. Despite being a street or so away, the other two heard him fine.

"Yeah." The dark haired man said in reply.

"What should we do, Sasuke?" Juugo asked.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. Even though he was basically the third member of the trio of leaders, he was the less fit to decide things. He usually left that up to the "Destined Children." He was more of an enforcer, one who keeps the others in line. But even so, the other two weren't here, so he would have to choose the best plan of action. What would Naruto do? What would Nagato do? These were the questions that he always asked himself when he made a decision like this. Recently however, the answer had begun being the same one over and over. Now was no exception. His eyes opened.

"Kill them."

* * *

Amidst the chaos and coming blood-releasing orgy, a lone figure stood high above the town; his single eye focusing on the individual fights. Even as the fighting began, he smiled, though it went unseen. "...The Shinigami have become weak in the past hundred years. To be _matched_ by Arrancar… how unthinkable for the _old_ Shinigami. And just because Aizen has gained some trinket he thinks he's a king."

His eye narrowed at the sight of three other characters darting toward the madness.

"Even you, shinobi, have become lax. I'll show you all…"

He turned walked through the clouds fading from view. "Shinigami or shinobi, god or king, living or dead… I have surpassed them all!"

* * *

Suigetsu stepped across the rooftops of Karakura's suburbs, keeping his sense sharp to detect any disturbances. Over the years he had developed a particular "Bloodlust-sense". This stemmed from him constantly wanting to fight, so he developed that particular sense to find those who would fight him the best. It also doubled as a threat indicator allowing him to detect the threat level by the amount of bloodlust.

Currently he was tracking one such individual. Though not the highest source of bloodlust, he was no doubt up there, and he was the closest, which was all that mattered to Suigetsu.

He suddenly stopped and looked around. He was near. "Get out here. No point in hiding!"

Suigetsu was suddenly assaulted by a speeding white blur. Stopping the stabbing appendage of the Arrancar before him, he grinned, showing his shark like teeth. "Hehe, I knew it."

The other grinned likewise, showing an assortment of oddly placed teeth, similar to, but unlike Suigetsu's. "Now who do I have the pleasure of killing?"

"Houzuki Suigetsu; Kijin no Sairai. And you?" He said letting go of the other's arm, which would have, if he hadn't caught it, stabbed through his chest.

"It was rhetorical. If I asked the name of all those I'm going to kill tonight, there'd be no end to it!"

Suigetsu grinned nonetheless. "You still didn't answer my question."

The other glared at him with one eye. The other covered in bandages that wrapped around his head and large helmet, which was too large for him it seemed. "Arrancar Dieciséis; D-Roy."

He didn't have time to utter another word before a massive blade careened thought the ground where he stood. His eyes widening in surprise, he leapt back a good ten meters. Suigetsu lifted the blade from where he embedded it in the ground. "What's with the surprised face? Since we know each other now, we don't have to waste any more time chatting. We can get straight to killing!" He said as he lunged again, going for a horizontal slice. D-Roy recovered from his shock and with a smile charged as well, aiming his palm for the boy's head.

* * *

Edrad looked around for the particular soul he had sensed earlier. His arms were crossed and he had a smirk on his face as he looked at the streets from high above. He was unprepared for a large figure to blast off from the ground below him and rocket toward him.

The figure reared an arm back and his eyes widened as black markings spread across his body and his right arm was covered in a grey scale-like material. The fist became much larger, which Edrad assumed would make the attack much more powerful.

He wasn't wrong.

The attack pushed him back, despite having braced for it. Even so, he wasn't hurt. "Ha! I never would have assumed a human would attack me directly, even if they did have a little bit of reiryoku." He said as he crossed his arms again.

"I would appreciate your name." The other said. "Mine's Juugo."

Edrad looked at him curiously. "It would be wasteful to tell you my name. You're going to die anyway." Juugo didn't seem fazed by this arrogance. Shinigami and Arrancar weren't the only ones who were arrogant, and Juugo had dealt with many an arrogant shinobi.

"That's fine then." He said as he threw a punch forward. Edrad scoffed at him and also threw a punch forward, both fists connecting with the other's. Edrad's eyes widened as he felt the force behind it increase. Juugo wore a simple sleeveless shirt with black sweats and shinobi shoes. "Not bad for a simple human." Edrad said with a smile.

"Not yet." From behind the arm emerged several circular holes. Edrad's eye widened again with a blue energy shot out of the holes. "HAA!!" The thin streams of blue energy evolved into a torrential wave as it boosted the punch forward faster and harder than Edrad could compensate. His eyes shot open when he was thrown back, creating a long trench out of the ground. The boosters on Juugo''s arm deactivated as his "curse seal" retracted.

* * *

**Karakura outskirts.**

The clashing reiatsu cloaked the gathering energies of the sneaking figure in the woods. Orochimaru smirked. The conditions couldn't be better. He wore a white tank top with black cargo pants and shinobi shoes. His long black hair swaying with each step. When he reached a quiet spot his smiled. "This should do nicely."

He took a deep breath and exhaled. Bring his hands together he bit his thumb and flipped through a series of seals, ending with a palm slam to the ground. "**Kuchiyose: Rashōmon.**"

The ground rumbled for a moment before a massive gate broke through it and rose high into the sky. Orochimaru smiled at seeing the gate again. After all, he rarely ever had to bring it out. He walked up to it and stood directly before it. His eyes narrowed as he placed a hand up to the gate itself. "_Unbar thy gates, open the way to the great deviation, break forth from thy troubles and triumphs and carry your charges on the wings of the earth._" He chanted out.

For a moment nothing happened. He narrowed his eyes for a moment. Then, with a rumble, the gate slowly split in half down the middle and a white light beamed from behind the opening doors. The Sannin's eyes widened slightly in anticipation. The doors stopped opening halfway through, but it was still enough room for a person to travel through. Orochimaru waited with baited breath. He hoped this would work, of his several experiments this one was placed highest priority on his schedule, and the conditions for experimenting undetected by either Soul Society or his own kind were all fulfilled in the battles erupting across the town.

And then, as if by some twist of fate, God had heard his mental plea, and a silhouette made its appearance in the gateway. Even as it stalked forward out of the gate's "mouth" Orochimaru recognized him. "Experiment successful." The other, rather than express his surprise, merely looked around at the new scenery before looking back at the pale skinned child.

Despite his form, Orochimaru knew the other knew who he was. Without even speaking a word, a question was asked and Orochimaru simply stepped to the side and held a hand out to the town in the distance. "Your targets are over there." He said with a smile, pleased his experiment worked. Naruto would also be pleased indeed to know it worked, and that alone was enough to make Orochimaru confident at this point.

Within a blink, the man had dashed off for the city, and Orochimaru heard his whoop of excitement even as he faded from sight and sound. Naruto would be excited that _he_ was here now.

* * *

Kisame stood on the side of a building outside the newly marked combat zone that was Karakura, the sealed Samehada at his side. Naruto walked up to him. The two lived on a block away from each other, and since Kisame currently stood on top of Naruto's duplex, it didn't bother the blond to leave his slumbering wife's side. This was a battle, and he was a tactical genius. For several reasons, he felt it best not to wake her. "Enjoying the show?" He asked his shark friend.

"I'd rather be in it than watch it." Kisame grumbled under his breath. Naruto looked askance at him. "I can't allow that Kisame, and you know why." Naruto said sternly. "With none of the other Jinchūriki present, You, Nagato and myself are the most powerful here. Your unique ability to drain an opponent's energy and use it as your own is a powerful trump card, and we can't have you go around using it."

Kisame grinned slightly. "You're insinuating that they would be strong enough to force me to steal their energy." Naruto rolled his eyes. "These may not be, but I'm not going to risk it. If the enemy were to discover your strengths then we'd be down one bijuu-level fighter. With only three available, we can't afford to be wasteful."

"So you're grounding me?" Naruto chuckled. "Call it what you will, but you know I'm right."

Kisame scoffed at him, but otherwise remained silent. He was nearly as powerful as Naruto, but as much as he hated to say it, he wasn't on his level intellectually. He had commonly been called the "brute" when referring to himself and Itachi as a duo, with Itachi being the brains. It bugged him to no end.

There was a sudden reaction in the sealed blade at his side. Even though in this form, Samehada could still communicate, in its own way. "Eh? What's up…?" His eyes widened. "No way… It couldn't be?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

Kisame had a blank face as he looked off to the battle between one of the Shinigami Vice-Captains and an Arrancar.

"_He's here._"

* * *

"OUU!!" The white snake-head of Zabimaru charged toward the grinning masked fiend. With a clean swipe, the entirety of Hihio Zabimaru was smashed away, leaving a stunned Renji and a smug Arrancar. Without even having time to blink, the two were face to face, and Renji didn't have time to block a quick strike to his shoulder. "NO!" Renji shouted as he tried to slash his Bankai at the man.

Unfortunately, he was much faster than Renji expected and simply leaped out of the way and to safety. "HAHAHAHAHA!!! Is that it, bro?! That's the limit of your Bankai?! A weakling like you can pass as a vice-captain? You must be really familiar with the bottom of the Gotei 13!!" Renji could do nothing but wait for him to attack again, since he obviously wasn't fast enough to attack him head on.

Below them, Jinta looked up at them from the roof of Urahara's shop. He had an annoyed and slightly disappointed face as he watched the practically one-sided battle. He heard footsteps from behind him and he looked to see Ururu, his female counterpart walking toward him on the roof, but her eyes staring blankly at the two in the sky.

"Ururu? Whaddya want? I told you to go to sleep!" She didn't answer him, and it was then he noticed her eyes. _'Oh shit!'_

"_Locking onto the unusual reiatsu of the Arrancar… now initiating genocide-mode._" Jinta, recognizing the threat got up and ran to her frantically. "Wait! Ururu-!" He was cut off by her leaping in to the sky to join the fray. "Damn it!"

Higher up, The long haired blond leaned forward, ready to go in for the kill. "…Now… Let's finish this once and for all, BRO!!" He didn't have time to dodge as a sweeping kick connected with his face from behind, sending him skidding in the air. Renji stood stunned, and Ururu had that same blank look in her eyes. Yylfordt corrected himself with a grunt. "ARGH!!!" He slid to a stop, glaring wide-eyed at the little girl. "Who the hell are you?!" She didn't answer, unless you consider wrapping her fingers around his throat an answer. However, he got a better response next, when she finally spoke.

"Hazard." He looked at her. "You're a Hazard. To us, hazardous. Hazards are enemies… Enemies must be…" She looked up at him and cocked back a fist. "_Exterminated._" A loud crack resounded through the air as she began mercilessly smashing his skull in, blood splattering on her face and cloths as she did so. Renji was in equal shock as the now pummeled Yylfordt. "N-no way…What's with that kid…?!"

Yylfordt had had enough. **"YOU LITTLE BITCH!!!"** He slashed at her face, but met no resistance. She had ducked under his blade and flipped back a ways safe from his reach. She hesitated for a moment. "That brat…!! She's playing around with me! Damn it! _Damn_ it! I'll kill her!!!" He brought his Zanpakutō beside his face the blade pointed to the offending child. "**Skewer, Del-**"

"YEEEEEAAAHHH!!!" Yylfordt blinked. There was a soft thunk as a foot connected with Ururu's face knocking her back down and into Jinta below. "Little brat, don't just stand there lookin' dumb; stay down there an suck your thumb!"

Yylfordt looked on in bewilderment. "What the hell…?" The person in front of him had dark skin and pale gold hair. A pair of sunglasses hid his eyes from view. "Hey you bastard, asshole! Try that again and I'll eat your soul! Yeah!"

Yylfordt's eye twitched. _'This guy…'_ He wore a white jacket that strapped over a shoulder, fingerless gloves that extended past his wrists and had three vertical red stripes on them. He had a red rope around his waist and a white scarf around his neck. Black pants and shin guards, also with three vertical red ridges. The finishing touch to this man's garb was a white headband with a metal plate on it. On that plate was an odd bubble design. _'Or clouds if you really want to stretch it…' _Yylfordt thought to himself.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, his anger momentarily diverted. The man cocked his head at him. "What're ya askin' me bastard? You think you can take me? Be careful or I'll leave ya splintered! Yeah!"

"Answer me damn it!" The man waved his hands around crazy-like and gave the impression that he was half drunk, though he wasn't. "What's it matter? Come at me if you can, I'm gonna splatter you! Yeah! You're a dead man!"

Yylfordt's eye twitches as his anger suddenly found a new outlet. "Fine then, don't answer me... Why should I care? YOU'LL BE DEAD SOON ANYWAY!!" He charged the crazy man, leaving the baffled vice-captain in the dust. An air of seriousness settled over man for a moment as the Arrancar approached rapidly. "Head on, huh?"

"RAAHH!!" Yylfordt swung in all directions as the surprisingly nimble man dodged each strike. "Damn it! Hold still!"

"Hey, hey, what the matter? I thought you'd be tougher!" Again and again the blonde tried to cut the elusive target and failed.

The man finally retaliated, spinning around and delivering a snap kick to the man's jaw. "You're just a brat, not ready for this kind of combat. Now! I'll squash you like a gnat, cuz I'm a hellcat! YYYEEAHH!!" Constantly kicking and punching around Yylfordt's defense the blows began to do major damage as he couldn't compensate or counter-attack. A final kick to the face spun the blonde around and to the ground leaving cratered earth and ruble to fall back to the ground from which it had soared.

The dark skinned man was silent for a moment as he landed on the ground. Loud panting sounds could be heard as the dust cleared and the clattering of broken pavement settled to the ground. Supporting himself by his katana, Yylfordt stood slowly, glaring angrily at the newcomer. "…You… bastard…!" He said in between breaths. The other smiled at him and uncrossed his arm, waving them wildly.

"And you call yourself an Arrancar? You're all beat up from just a spar! Come on, at least try to hit me before you die!" He said pointing two fingers at the man from both hands as he spoke. Yylfordt narrowed his eyes. "You're pissing me off!"

The man smiled and spoke in a deep voice in plain words. "Heh, come get me then." Yylfordt growled and charged again, his sword ready to stab the crazy rhymer that stood in his way. Before he got to him however, a rattling sound reached his ears and he looked back to see the vice-captain's Bankai running him down. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized he had just placed himself in a pincer between the new guy and the vice-captain.

Not wanting to have his back chewed on by the massive fangs of the snake's head, he spun quickly slashing it out of the way. Renji "tch"-ed as he withdrew his Bankai so he could throw it again at the next opening. He had no idea who this new guy but he was glad he had distracted the Arrancar for the moment. As it was, he wouldn't be able to fight him for much longer one-on-one, not with his current handicap in place. Still he wondered who the other guy was. He'd never seen him before, and he barely emitted any reiatsu, even as he moved around the deadly slashes of Yylfordt Granz. _'He couldn't be just a random spiritually aware being. He could be like Sado or Orihime, but he's way beyond their level.'_ The thought occurred to him that he could be a New Soul, but couldn't recall this man. All vice-captains and captains were given a list to memorize when they were assigned to Karakura, one that listed the physical descriptions and names of each New Soul residing there, and their exact locations.

But this man didn't match the description of anyone on that list, and that concerned Renji more than anything else. "This guy's totally unknown…"

Yylfordt spun his blade around and slashed at the man's head, only for him to duck and deliver a sweeping kick, knocking the Arrancar over. "YEAH BABY!!" he whooped as he leapt into the air to deliver a crushing axe kick to the man's head. There was a resounding clang as he whooped as he leapt into the air to deliver a crushing axe kick to the man's head. There was a resounding clang as Yylfordt raised his sword to block it. Growling as the pressure cratered the ground beneath him, he opened his mouth wide and a pale yellow sphere formed, growing in size each second. The other looked at it curiously, his foot still pressed to the zanpakutō of the Fracción.

_'Your funeral.'_ Thought Yylfordt as the sphere released its destructive power in a wide beam that engulfed the dark skinned man. Yylfordt stood slowly, looking at the swirling dust that was once a street of Karakura's suburbs. "Heh! Not so cocky now are ya?! You're nothing but dust in the wind! Hahahahaha!!" His composure suddenly changed for the worse as a silhouette slowly materialized in the dissipating cloud.

The smoke fianly blew away showing the unmarred figure of the rapping opponent…

…Writing in a small green book. Yylfordt's wide eyed expression said it all: _'He took my **Cero** point blank and treats it like nothing?!' _The man abruptly closed his book and smiled. "Yosh. Your fighting inspired a few good rhymes, so I'll humor you with a few games."

He put the book away and reached behind him with both hands, one over his shoulder and the other around his side. Yylfordt hadn't noticed, but the man also possessed several blades, and when he threw them into the air, his eyes widened dramatically as each one landed in its place. Seven blades glinted lethally in the moonlight, each resting in a different joint. On in the left elbow, another in the right knee, and another in between the right thigh and his gut. Another under the left armpit and the last three in the right elbow, shoulder and his mouth. "I'll give you a taste of my Hook."

Yylfordt's eye twitched. _'What's with that stance? Don't tell me he can use all seven at one time!'_ His instincts saved him as he barely noticed his right hand rising to defend from a spinning spiked ball of death rushing at him. "Ugh!" The other man spun and twisted, flinging swords all over the place, sending light cuts all over the Arrancar's face and arms. A bladed kick made Yylfordt jump into the air, but an unexpected swing from the left sent him tumbling uncontrollably through the air.

"This is it!" The other leapt after him, throwing three of the blades into the air and reversing the grip of the blade in his left hand. "I float like a butterfly…" Dashing forward even faster he lunged with the three blades in his mouth, and the two in his hands. "…and sting like a bee! Cuz I'm Killer Bee, the Hachibi! OH YEAH!!!" Yylfordt didn't know what it him as they struck and impaled him, sending him flying into the side of a building. Killer Bee threw his arm in front of him in his usual rap stance, breathing calmly.

Renji felt a drop of sweat drip down his cheek. "N-no way… He beat him that fast? Unreal!!"

Bee's eyebrow arched as he felt the Arrancar's presence again. The rubble shifted slightly to reveal a battered and bloody Yylfordt as he shoved a large slab of wall off of him. It fell to the ground with a crash with Yylfordt hunched over, the three blades still sticking out of him: one in the collar, one in the side, and the other in the outermost part of his left lung. He huffed loudly, with droplets of blood falling from his chin and mouth.

"You're a tough punk, but you better give up now, or your sunk. For sure." Bee said, an unreadable expression on his face.

Yylfordt clenched his teeth. "I've had enough of your rapping!!" He raised his blade to his face again as his reiatsu flared around him. "**Skewer: Del Toro!!**" There was a wave of reiatsu that engulfed the Hachibi Jinchūriki like a cloud, swirling around. Another pulse of energy and they were blown away. If you could see Bee's eyes, one would have opened slightly wider. In front of him stood a bulky white bull with a flowing yellow mane, horns curved menacingly at him.

"Surprised? This is how we Arrancar release our Zanpakutō, bro!!"He said as he charged. "UURRRAAAGHGH!!!" Bee leaped out of the way and twisted, bringing his blades down on the bone plates of the "bull's" armor. They didn't even nick him. "HA!! Puny blows like that won't even scratch me!!!"

Bee didn't make any sort of notion that indicated he heard him. Instead, he simply pushed harder. "Are you stupid? I just said that won't work-!!" Yylfordt's eyes widened as he felt himself flying through the air and crashing to the ground, making a long crater that stretched for a good twenty meters. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes again to see Bee, his blades off to his side. "How the hell did he…?"

Renji stood in shocked awe. He watched as Bee had applied enough pressure to push the massive bulk of the Arrancar and throw him to the ground below. '_How strong is this guy?!_'

Yylfordt picked himself up and got on all fours. It was then he noticed a pain in his shoulder and glanced over to see blood dripping from two slash marks. His eyes widened. "H-how…?!" His eyed jumped back to Killer Bee, and that was when he noticed a faint blue glow outlining the two short blades that had hit him. They both crackled as thin sparks of electricity flew from them. "Shinobi Elements 101: Lightning is capable of cutting through almost any object, and with skill can even be channeled into objects, like these knives." Bee said, momentarily abandoning his rapper persona. "Guess which element I use?"

Yylfordt narrowed his eyes dangerously. "But, it'll take me a while to cut through all that armor, so I won't use these." He flipped the around and sheathed them.

Yylfordt glared at him. "You takin' me lightly?"

Bee smirked. "Time for Number Eight!" he said, raising a rocker's-fist into the air with a whoop. "WHEEEEE!!!!!" in the seconds that followed, red bubbles began seeping through his skin, one by one until they formed a red shroud around him. The shroud took the form of a bull's horns and had four tails swaying behind him.

Yylfordt's eyes widened immensely. "A-a bull?!" Bee flung his arms around crazily as he always did. **"Alright you fake, let's show you how it's really done! Shake in your hoofs as the Eight Tails awakes! YEAH!!!" **He crouched down and shifted all his weight into his feet and pushed. The amount of energy used in propulsion caused a massive gale of wind to shoot behind him and blew Renji back a ways.

_'Ugh! Just his jump is this strong?!'_ He thought while shielding his face and trying to follow the man as he flew at the Arrancar.

Yylfordt grit and bared his teeth, digging his hands into the ground and launching forward aiming to meet the attack head on. "I'm gonna kill you!!"

Bee shifted the shroud around him and raised his left arm. He grinned with fanged teeth.

"RAAAAGGHHH!!!!"

**"****Lariat!****!" **

The charging duo collided with incredible force, sending concrete and pavement, window glass and metal soaring high into the sky. Dust form the impact spread throughout the area, hiding the outcome from view and forcing Renji to use Zabimaru to shield himself as he tried to peer through the cloud. "Just… who won?" He asked himself as the dust simply continued to spread out, only hindering his view even more. He waited him baited breath as another drop of sweat slid down his face, mixing with nearly dried blood from earlier.

So intent was he on the hidden destruction below him that he didn't even notice the figure behind him. "Boom!! The Hachibi strikes again! Striking down a pathetic copy of itself! _Oh yeah!!_"

Renji turned quickly to see the black man standing there in his rapper-pose, looking at him. "B-but you-… You were just…!" He looked back down at the still clouded impact zone as it slowly thinned. His eyes widened as he saw the remains of the Arrancar. His neck and chest had been completely blown away, and you could see all the way clear to his spine. "He… Defeated so soundly…"

"Surprised? Scared? Brat's like him need to be chastised, and I caught him unprepared! The Hachibi soundly defeats all enemies!" He rapped out. Renji, while not exactly drawn to the type of music, was still in awe of the power of this man. He was so carefree it was like the man he had just seen with that this man and the man with that strange red energy charging with fangs bared almost seemed like two different people.

"…Say something man…" Renji blinked and realized the other man was standing there waiting for a response a sweat-drop expression evident. "Oh… uh… thanks for taking care of him, I guess…"

Bee slapped him roughly on the back and laughed. "Don't mention it! So, did you like my rhymes?" he asked. Renji looked at him with a slightly exasperated face but was silent for a moment. Bee's smiling face didn't change but another sweat-drop developed. Renji quickly faked a smile and waved off his earlier silence. "O-oh! I didn't mean it like that; it's just that they were so awesome I didn't know what to say!"

Bee sighed in relief and gave the man a wide smile. _'I seriously don't like rap.'_ Renji thought, forming a sweat drop of his own.

The awkward moment was interrupted by a crash from further out of town. They both looked and saw a small cloud of dust appear from there. "Who's over there?" Renji asked, not recognizing the reiatsu signatures. Bee was silent for a moment before he spoke up. "This really isn't the terrain for him anyway…" Renji looked at Bee, confused. "Huh? What do you mean?"

There was another crash as two figures became visible. Suigetsu lay on the ground, slowly liquefying as he lost consciousness, his Kubikiri Houchou broken in two at his side. The menacing form of the blue haired Arrancar stood over him. He had a crazed expression on his face, only accenting the fanged jaws on the side of his face.

Grimmjow stood like a hunter who had finally caught its prey. "Now, for the finishing blow!"

* * *

**A/N: Well thats what I did in the past two days. I know, I know... "If you can do all that in two days why do we have to wait 2 friggen months for your to update?!?!?!?" *Is Fuming!!!!* Well, like I said, i was busy/distracted by other things and I truly appologize for the wait. It also hasn't helped that school has been a killer B lately, and not the character kind of B. It's insanity trying to keep up... Anyway, you all know the drill, review by hitting that shiny little *REVIEW THIS STORY/CHAPTER* button. Leave lots of love! ^_^**

**Till next time, later all!**


	19. Chapter 19: Overpowered

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A/N: Phew took me long enough to get this one out. Again, I appologize. I wanted to update this one first, before A Curious Thing, but i had no motivation. I did however, have motivation for ACT, so I did that one first, and then this one. And Yes, it did take me an ungodly amount of time up update both. What can I say? I had no muse. But! I, Konerok Hadorak, have FINALY posted the next chapter! WOOOT!

**I would like to thank, **TsknRaider, avatoa, Flamelord99, Kage Bijuu, qtar1984, zentary, Silver Warrior, Clemerl, skepsis66, Hunter 152, The Laughing Phoenix **(Especialy for her extremely long and enjoyable reviews, KEEP EM UP! J)**, Skelo, Dude4515 **(Also for his extra long reviews :D)**, Soraya the All Speaker **(There, I didn't forget your this time J)**, Neko-Graphic, KageMCS, The Ninja Pirates of the Abyss **(ßAnonymous)**, NaruHnata forever **(Lovin' the name!)**, Anon42, Arbl A-17, Alehhandro **(Broken English is still good as long as the review is long ;))**, Lbzerobs, korrd, **and** supremebandit**. **

**I'm so glad you guys decided to review my story! It really does help keep me going, I swear! Be sure to do your duty and do it again!**

**_Wow _that sounded wrong…**

**READ AND REVIEW!**

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**Chapter 19: Overpowered**

D-Roy was astounded. Never before had he fought someone so invincible as this kid. Every attack was meaningless to his watery form, which only made it harder to defend against him when he attacked. Several times he had wrapped his arm around D-Roy's head and attempted to drown him. He'd gotten away, but only by firing a **Cero** at him. Suigetsu didn't let up though. He swung his massive blade at the Arrancar left and right, up and down.

D-Roy wouldn't dare draw his sword against him. He was far too prideful for that. "You asshole!" He cried out just before the massive blade came crashing down through his skull. His words were cut short as his body split in two, falling to the ground in a heap of spilled blood and guts.

Suigetsu sighed in disappointment. He'd hoped that that Arrancar would be more of a challenge. He hadn't had one in quite a while. Hefting the blade on top his shoulder he didn't even spare a glance at his fallen enemy before walking away. There were other enemies.

"Pheew… Next one I guess is-" He was cut off by a crimson Cero descending from above. His eyes widened as he only had time to position his blade in front of the attack. He grit his teeth and roared as he swung the blade as hard as he could, deflecting the powerful attack. He held his stance, trying to sense where the other person was.

He found out when that person spoke. "Looks like D-Roy's the first one to eat it. Either means he was weak or you're powerful." Suigetsu grinned as the blue haired Arrancar floated down to the ground. "It better be the last one!" He continued.

Suigetsu lifted his cleaver onto his shoulder and relaxed. "Maybe it was both." He said to the Arrancar, grinning with smugness. "Doesn't matter anyway. All you need to know is my name. Houzuki Suigetsu. The man who killed you!" He yelled as he charged, with surprising swiftness at the Arrancar, swinging his Kubikiri Houchou horizontally.

There was an audible clang as the Arrancar lifted his left arm to block it, the metal clashing with the steel hard skin. The other man grinned and nonchalantly knocked the blade away. "Since you're the first one to kill one of my guys, I'll tell ya my name too. Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez!" He rushed forward, his fists clenched and reared back.

Suigetsu swung and met Grimmjow's punch with his blade. Not a scratch. But that didn't stop Suigetsu. "Heh!" He shifted his mass into his right arm, bulging and enlarging with increased strength. "Let's see you handle this!" He swung again and Grimmjow blocked it, grabbing the inside of the circle at the tip of the blade. Throwing a punch forward, he smacked right into Suigetsu's face.

"Haha!" But his satisfied smile disappeared when the boy recoiled and he saw his face dripping to the pavement below. Suigetsu took a moment to recover, his face reforming. He grinned at the Arrancar. "Nice try Arrancar. If it had been anyone other than me, they'd have been out cold right now."

Grimmjow smirked. "Like hell punk!" They both rushed each other again, Suigetsu over-head chopping and burying his sword in the ground. Grimmjow **Sonido**-ed behind Suigetsu before the blade even reached him. The ninja dislodged his blade and swung in a circle, blade flying. Grimmjow place a hand on the top flat part of the blade and lifted himself over it, simultaneously smashing his foot into Suigetsu's face. Again he stumbled back. This time though, Grimmjow was not so honorable. He jumped him and sent a barrage of earth-shattering punches at the ninja. Water flew all over the street, splattering the ground and nearby buildings and various sidewalk décor.

Through the sound of smacking fists, Suigetsu's laugh could clearly be heard. "Come on! Don't tell me that all you got!" The barrage suddenly stopped and it gave Suigetsu enough time to reform his face. What he saw wasn't good. Not five inches from his face glowed a crimson sphere. "I already said it ya little punk! Like hell!" The sphere burst forward, sending a cascade of solid energy barreling into the shinobi. The ground erupted, smoke and dirt flying high into the air.

As it settled, Grimmjow stood stalwart over the unconscious and "melting" boy's body. The massive sword he had used was broken in half, lying off to the side. "Using your sword as a shield right before my Cero hit ya… Not bad. Looks like energy hurts ya pretty bad though. Ah well, sucks for you!" He said as he charged up another Cero and aimed at the shinobi again, going for the killing blow. Grimmjow's eyes abruptly drifted from the boy to the far end of the street.

"**Getsuga Tenshō!**" A blue crescent of energy tore itself down the street directly at Grimmjow. He would have rolled his eyes but it was just so stupid he couldn't be bothered to do so. He dispelled his Cero and slapped the attack away, letting it wreck a few buildings behind him. Grimmjow smirked again as an orange haired Shinigami approached.

"Bastard. What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo asked

Grimmjow smiled and tromped forward. He didn't say a word. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and slashed forward. Again, Grimmjow blocked it with his bare hands. With an idle pulse of his power, he sent Ichigo flying into the air. "I didn't come here to butcher lambs. If you've got some greater power then use it." He said as he scratched a cheek.

"If you don't…" He grinned. "I'll melt you into a puddle too!"

Ichigo snarled and brought both hands together on Zangetsu's hilt. "**Bankai!**"

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. "That's it…"

* * *

Edrad swung another fist-full of reiryoku into the orange haired man's own. _'It looks like he alters his limbs shape to increase his power.'_ Edrad mused as he blocked another punch.

"HAA!" He blocked another of Juugo's strikes.

_'But it's weird. Every time he changes form, it feels almost like a Hollow.'_ He threw a punch at Juugo, aiming for his head. Juugo raised both hand into the air and slammed them down knocking Edrad's punch into the ground. Placing a foot on his hand, Juugo shifted his right arm to form a leathery fist with a piston elbow. Rearing back, he slammed it forward, the piston nearly tripling the attack's power. Edrad defended with his other hand but was once again smashed in the face, sending him crashing back even further. Edrad recovered slowly and stood again. Small scrapes were nothing to him.

"Your mine!" He turned quickly to block a sword strike from the bald Shinigami… Madarame Ikkaku was it? He'd joined in almost immediately after he and Juugo began. Fighting one was slightly pressing, but fighting both was becoming difficult. Every time one would attack, the other would defend against his next strike. Ikkaku, despite Edrad's first impression, didn't actually use his head in battle. _'It's more like he's trying to milk as much fun out of it as he can.'_

On the other hand, Juugo appeared to neither us his head, nor milk the fun. It was hard to tell what kind of fighter Juugo was. To Edrad, it was very strange. _'Unlike the other one, he doesn't look like he's having fun at all. And the way he keeps trying to end the fight all at once…'_ He blocked an aerial attack by Ikkaku and a terrestrial attack by Juugo. He grabbed Ikkaku and threw him over his head at the other opponent. The Curse Seal progenitor quickly caught the Shinigami and slid back to a safe distance.

"You don't like fighting, do you?" Edrad asked, looking at Juugo. Juugo looked back and put Ikkaku down, maybe less gently than he could have. "I just want to have peace and quiet again. To do that, I need to beat you."

He was interrupted but an infuriated Ikkaku who head butted him onto the ground. "WHAT THE HELL? YOU WEREN"T GENTLE AT ALL! YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME YOU WERE GOING TO DROP ME!" He shouted; spit flying from his mouth in comical fashion. The air turned serious right after. "Hey, if you don't wanna fight, just sit there, I'll finish it for ya."

Juugo sat up and rubbed his head with a groan, but nodded. Ikkaku smiled and directed his full attention on the Arrancar. "Alright you big oaf! Let get it on!" He rushed forward, jumping and twisting in the air to slash down at Edrad's face. A quick deflection via the Arrancar's zanpakutō and Ikkaku had to defend from a massive fist with his sheath. Over and over again, this continued, Edrad continuously getting a little better at predicting his moves.

_'His form is incredibly messy, but I suppose he can always rely on that powerful arm of his. Despite his capriciousness though, it's actually quite easy to read his movements.'_ He blocked another strike. _'He always strikes out with his katana from the left, and then defends with the sheath on the right. It's too simple!'_ He burst some reiryoku into his hands and swung, Ikkaku ducking out of the way.

_'As soon as I realize which arm you're coming with, I can instantly attack your weak point and pierce your defenses! At this point taking you down…'_ He channeled energy into his left hand and swung down, crushing the pavement below into two massive slabs. _'…will be pathetically easy!'_ Through the haze, he could see Ikkaku preparing to strike. _'Left! It's an attack!'_ Bringing his sword up he blocked it, only instead of the sound of metal clanging, he heard the sound of wood clapping. _'Sheath?'_

Ikkaku grinned wickedly and swung down with his right hand, cutting through Edrad's forehead and across his down, severing his already broken mask. Blood dripped down from the cut onto the broken earth. "Tch! Can't believe I messed up. I was aiming to take your whole head too." Ikkaku mused out loud, tossing Hōzukimaru from hand to hand.

Edrad narrowed his eyes. _'He's something alright. Setting up such a predictable pattern like that on purpose, and then switching the katana from hand to hand at the last second to trick me… What an insane battle plan! There's so many possible ways it could backfire on him. I'd have to be really _un_lucky to get beaten by such a strategy!'_

Ikkaku rolled his tongue around his mouth for a moment before reaching and plucking two teeth out. "Charging up your reiatsu in your hand like that… that's some trick! You even managed to take out two of my molars. Oh well, them's the breaks. I'll just have to get some new ones later." He said, tossing them away. "Now then! Time for round two, right? I'm starting to get a grasp on your movements as well." He brought his blade up to point at Edrad, grinning smugly. "About five or six more attacks and I'll have you release your zanpakutō whether you like it or not!"

Edrad was silent for a moment before a small curve of his lips brought a smirk to his face. "I see… For some reason though, I seem to have misread you earlier. I guess it's not really important for a guy like you… Whether you released or not, the outcome of the battle wouldn't be changed at all."

"Heh, so you tellin' me you've finally come to acknowledge my power?" Ikkaku asked.

"Just the opposite. A fight-loving idiot like yourself… no matter how much you flail and struggle it will be all in vain. Your type is the kind that I can't stop fighting until all their bones have been slashed to bits." Edrad elaborated, placing a heavy palm over his blade. "I'll make it so that you'll never have a chance to _enjoy_ fighting another Arrancar again." The air became oppressive as Edrad glared the Shinigami down.

"**Erupt, Volcánica!**" Flame burst from the sword and set Edrad ablaze. Where the sword disappeared, the flames turned to magma that dripped and slid over Edrad's skin forming two massive hands with high shoulder guards that swept over to his neck and rose up as guards for his cheeks. The wound on his face sealed shut. Ikkaku could only look on in shock, barely muttering "…the hell…is that?"

"'The hell' is a bit harsh. This is how we Arrancar release our zanpakutō. The zanpakutō of an Arrancar is sealed with the nuclei containing the form of each of our respective powers. In other words, they are completely different than those of a Shinigami. That means that until our weapons are released, our true powers, along with our true forms are completely hidden. Get it? What you see in front of you is my actual form. Now, with Volcánica in my grasp, you'll finally get a taste of my true power!" He made a fist and fire ignited around it.

Shoving it forward, a funnel of flame and heat carved out a massive gouge in the earth.

* * *

Slowly, ever so slightly, Juugo began to fidget. Shaking his head to clear it, he could feel it rising; that urge. That wanton destruction. _'No! I can't lose control here!'_ But as the one sided battle between the other two continued, it became increasingly hard to maintain control…

* * *

From the sidelines, Ayasegawa Yumichika and Asano Keigo watched the battle from the sidelines, with Yumichika frequently giving commentary to the human about him and his partner. At the moment, Yumichika looked grim, with Keigo only able to look on in a daze. The bright light from the explosion illuminated the street and houses. Gently pulling out a microphone from the shade of his hakama, he put it to his mouth to speak. _"-OK. Ayasegawa Yumichika-sama. Please give us the update."_ Came crackling over the intercom.

"The destructive ability of the enemy has enlarged, exceeding all our highest expectations. I'm requesting an increase of spatial stasis in a radius of 300 around Madarame Ikkaku. There is a possibility that many other souls could get caught up in the crossfire. According to the rules, we should pull out immediately. After all the safety of innocent souls is our top priority."

_"Understood."_

It is my prediction that all of our other enemies will eventually experience this increase in power as well. As a result, for Hitsugaya Toshirō, Matsumoto Rangiku, Abarai Renji, Kuchiki Rukia, and Kurosaki Ichigo; their stasis shouls be increased as well.

_"Understood."_

"And finally…" He took a sad look at the battle. "…Preparations should be made for Madarame Ikkaku's funeral precession."

_"…Yes sir…"_

* * *

"BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HOW'S THAT? The power of us Arrancar after releasing our zanpakutō increases exponentially! With your measly level of reiatsu, you can't even attempt to block it, can you?"

An air-born Ikkaku flinched, flipping in the air and sliding on a platform of energy beneath him. Bringing the sheath and sword together, the center began to glow with golden reiatsu.

"**Grow, Hōzukimaru!**" The blade and sheath fused together, forming a long staff with a spear like blade on one end and a red tassel on the other.

With slight apprehensiveness, Edrad leapt after him, arm poised to strike. Ikkaku, with renewed confidence, stabbed his spear forward. A swift punch shattered the partially released weapon and set Ikkaku tumbling to the ground. Edrad stood among the particles of dust and heat, looking down on the smoldering form of the 11th Division's vice-captain. "Are you done yet?" Silence was his response. Floating down to Madarame, he landed softly on the pavement. Ikkaku stubbornly attempted to get up. "Come now, just give up. Even with soldiers, there comes a point where admitting defeat is still honorable." A stream of erupting flame burst out of Edrad's shoulder guards. "You fought well. Even to continue on after being so thoroughly thrashed like this is something."

With a rush of insanity, Ikkaku rose up and charged again, a maniac grin plastered on his face. Edrad could only sigh in pity. "Truly a shame." With another blast of fire, Edrad smashed down on Ikkaku. A pillar of flame rose high into the sky, illuminating the streets and houses nearby, silhouettes flickering to and fro along the ground.

Edrad waited silently for the dust to settle before removing his hand. Ikkaku stood there, hunched over from where he'd struck him, his right hand supporting himself on his knees. Edrad fully expected him to black out soon. Nobody could withstand that kind of attack and stay standing for long. The silence, except for Ikkaku's breathing, was staggering. Which is why he was quite startled to hear another voice right by his hear, shouting loudly.

**"Time ta die!" **Edrad turned to see who had spoken, but his whole view was eclipsed by a massive fist approaching his face at terminal speeds. It connected before he could do anything.

A sphere of dust appeared instantly, rising to the sky. From it, a long line of rising destruction shot down the street. **"HHAHAHAHA! I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!" **The voice was raspy and guttural. Edrad braced himself for impact and managed to right himself before hitting anything too solid. Supporting himself on his overly large arms, he stood and quickly assessed the situation. He could clearly see that Juugo person standing there with a strange smile. "Finally decided to step in, hm? Not that it'll do you any good."

Juugo was deaf to those words. He was deaf to _any_ words. As the malicious energies of both the Arrancar and Shinigami flowed around him, entering in through his pores and into his lungs with each breath he took, there was only one thing going through his mind right now: **_'Kill 'em… Yeah, just kill 'em. It couldn't hurt… nah not a bit. Just a little pain, just a little… I just gatta kill somethin'. Who should it be? Who should I kill first…?'_ **The Curse slithered across his body, burning brightly as it spread. Already his right eye had turned black, his golden iris shining brightly. **_'I got it! Whoever moves first! Yeah! I'll kill 'em! Who's gonna move? Who's gonna move?'_**

* * *

Yumichika mentally sighed in relief. Now Ikkaku wouldn't die. There was a light beep from the communicator at his ear. "This is Ayasegawa. Go ahead."

Juugo's ears twitched at the sound. He wasn't really moving, but Juugo was prepared to attack anyone that made _real_ moves.

_"A powerful Hollow has just appeared on radar very near your position. Proceed with caution. Current level puts it at 183."_ The voice crackled out of the microphone. Yumichika narrowed his eyes. _'One-hundred and eighty-three… That's the same level I'd put Juugo…'_ His eyes widened slightly when he felt the wave of Hollow energy rip from this man's body. "Roger that. I'm requesting a direct scan of a square ten meter radius directly ahead of me."

_"Affirmative, scanning."_ There was a pause as they calibrated the parameters necessary for Yumichika's request. _"Scan complete. One target in vicinity. Signature indicates the same Hollow previously mentioned."_

Yumichika hit the talk button one last time. "Thanks." His facial expression didn't change. All he knew what that something was definitely up with Juugo.

* * *

Edrad took a good look at Juugo. His face was contorted in anxiety, his grin threatening to split his face. _'I thought he was going to stay out of this. Oh well, it's no more trouble crushing another ant at the same time.'_

Ikkaku was about to yell at him, but the air around Juugo had changed so dramatically that he had no idea what to say. A gentle breeze picked up, blowing against Juugo and toward Ikkaku behind him. It was in that breeze that Juugo's crazed words could be heard, their repetitive chorus never ending. **"Move. Move. Move. Move. Move."**

"I was going to leave you alone until I was finished with him, but if you want to fight so badly I'll accept."

**"Movemovemovemovemovemove…!"** The frenzied words came out again, a little louder than before.

"I'll crush you, with these two hands!" Edrad brought his fists up, slamming in the ground, fire spewing from his shoulders and splitting the earth. Rubble flew in every direction, breaking glass and shattering wood.

Juugo's eyes widened immensely and his smile reached both ears. An excited gleam in his eyes reflected off the moon. **"JACKPOT! YOU'RE DEAD!"** With an explosion of inhuman speed, Juugo rushed down the street, tearing up the road as he went, dragging a nasty looking axe blade on his wrist through the cement. **"HRRRAAAA!" **A crushing smash ripped the ground from its place and sent it flying over the sky. Edrad was forced back; his feet digging into the ground, forming two long trenches into it as Juugo seemed to effortlessly push him back. **"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'LL KILL YA!"** With a blast of roaring heat, Edrad managed to throw Juugo back, sending him crashing through several sets of houses.

Charging after him, Edrad strained his eyes to peer through the smokescreen he had inadvertently created. He could see Juugo's silhouette well enough. But what was that bright circle? His eyes widened as he dodged the massive bright blue beam of destruction. He made it, half way. His left arm had been caught in the beam as it tore through block after block of residential housing for nearly three miles.

His eyes instantly flipped to his charred arm. _'What power! He completely blew right through Volcánica!'_ He saw movement and a figure shot through the smoke and nailed him in the jaw, smacking into a guard rail. Picking his head up, he was greeted by the business end of a barrel. Wait, barrel? Juugo's whole right arm had morphed into a cannon that was already charging up for a shot at pointblank. **"Would you die already?" **Wisps of energy leaked from the muzzle of the weapon before retracting into the glowing center. Juugo' twitched back a foot as Edrad placed his right hand over the barrel of the cannon trying to suppress the blast. Juugo roared as the energy beam was fired into Edrad's armored palm.

_'If I can break this attack, I'll have a clear shot at him!'_ Edrad thought. The beam continued to grow in intensity, Juugo grinning savagely as he pumped as much power into it as he could. Edrad narrowed his eyes and similarly channeled his energies into his defending hand. Flame and pure power fought against each other. Thin streams of light creeped from in between the Arrancar's fingers; cutting through whatever they happened to hit, be it pavement, houses, street lights, or vehicles. The flames from Volcánica licked Juugo's skin, charring and melting it as the molten flesh dripped to the ground.

Juugo hardly noticed. Just before the compiled energies would reach their peak, Juugo's left eye twitched. **"HAHA! EAT IT!" **The Arrancar caught movement in his peripherals, seeing Juugo's left arm morphed into an identical barrel of his other arm. This time, it was pointed directly at his head. The dark inner of the weapon glowed bright blue only for a moment before it too exploded outwards. With his concentration now lost, he was unable to fully suppress Juugo's right arm's attack.

The simultaneous attacks released their destructive power and coursed across Edrad's **Hierro**. The bi- hair colored man grunted in pain as he weathered through the attacks, his arms in front of his face for protection. But even before the smoke cleared he could see another blue sphere through the haze. This time, it was much brighter. Soon he saw why.

Juugo's arms had fused together, forming a massive cannon. If the braces jutting out from Juugo's back and into the ground were any indication, this time, the attack would be huge. Juugo's shoulders and arms had large cylinders jutting from them, even on the elbows. Eerily enough, one of those cylinders suddenly sunk beneath the shinobi's skin. Edrad's eyes widened as the charging blast grew brighter and brighter by the second. He readied himself.

If this was anything like the last ones, he would be able to withstand it if he equaled out the power with a similar attack. Funneling all of his reiatsu, he powered up his right hand, flames turning to magma with the intense heat.

**"THE END."** Juugo's dark voice echoed across the battlefield in an ethereal moment of silence. A silence before the end of someone's life.

Juugo roared. Edrad growled.

Juugo fired. Edrad charged.

The attacks collided.

The lights turned the night into day. This was it… Someone was going to die. Only one of this would walk away from this.

The bright, artificial sunlight died all too quickly. The sounds of falling debris, the smell of burnt material, and the clearing smokescreen signaled the end of the fight. Ikkaku and Yumichiki saw Juugo's darkened form. Their eyes widened as his form became more visible. His skin was scorched to the point of peeling and/or melting from his body. But even so, despite the pain that would leave any other person dead in second, Juugo stood firm. Though whether it was from the braces already planted in the ground or his own power, the two Shinigami would never know.

Juugo panted heavily and his curse retreated a little bit. His face had a much more calm expression on it. He grit his teeth in pain as a small section of the cannon opened up. Out fell the canister that had been absorbed into his flesh earlier. Pushing his chakra _and_ reiatsu into it, and then _compressing_ it into a smaller size, he created a highly volatile bomb. Of course, when used as a power cell for his own attacks, it becomes an unstoppable beam. Problem was, it consumed a ton of energy. He was exhausted. His curse glowed molten red and began to recede back into him. As the braces, which were also part of his curse, also disappeared, he stood only for a moment before collapsing.

"O-Oi!" Ikkaku exclaimed, reaching out for him, but wincing in pain. He fell back on his butt; he was too injured to do anything.

Yumichika was at Juugo's side a moment later, not sure whether it was safe to even be so close. With cautious hands, he checked Juugo over. He was unconscious, that was for sure. His skin was burnt and flaking. His eyes were half closed, and what he could see were empty orbs. Juugo was too out of it to even dream. Yumichika smiled, despite his apprehension. He looked back at Ikkaku and grinned. "He's unconscious and needs medical attention, but he should be all right."

Ikkaku dead panned. "Tch, bastard stole my kill. I guess I should be happy he's alive but…" he trailed off, glancing away.

An abrupt shout brought their attention back to the other side of the battlefield. Edrad stepped forward shakily; hesitantly. His entire right side had been blown away. He wasn't bleeding though, having been cauterized by the intensity of Juugo's cannon blast. Not that like it was going for him though; no one can survive with half their body. "Damn you… Shinigami… Shinobi… Damn you... all…" He pitched forward while his eyes rolled backward.

He collapsed to the ground.

Dead.

Yumichika and Ikkaku stared in shock. With a traumatized breath, Ikkaku exhaled deeply. Yumichika narrowed his eyes at the Arrancar's body. Sure enough, no more life could be sensed from it. He looked back to Juugo. _'He was just powerful enough to beat him. With all the praise the shinobi have been given as far as power, I'm surprised he did what he did.'_

"I know what you're thinking."

The Shinigami turned instantly, startled by the voice. Uchiha Sasuke walked quietly up to the fifth-seat officer. "Juugo didn't hit full potential that time. Almost, but not quite." Not expecting a response, he stooped down and picked up Juugo's body and carried him over to the fallen Hollow. Gently dropping him to the ground, he clawed his fingers and drove them into Juugo's back. With a spark of electricity, the curse reacted and crawled slowly over Juugo's neck and onto his left arm. With another set of electric bursts, the curse formed a narrow, yet still large needle. Slowly, it crawled forward and into the Arrancar's only remaining arm.

Sasuke slowly forced Juugo to absorb the Edrad's Volcánica to heal himself. It took a moment, but the curse was able to assimilate the body into itself. After a minute, the curse receded, revealing an uninjured Juugo, but still unconscious. Sasuke smirked and picked him up.

The other two, who had still been watching the entire time, suppressed their astonished faces when Sasuke turned to them. "I'm not answering any questions," Was all he said before **shunshin**-ing away with his cargo. He was tired and mentally exhausted. Manipulating the neurons of Juugo's nervous system to control the curse isn't exactly easy. That level of elemental control, at that minute scale is very taxing on the mind. Not that Sasuke's pride would let those Shinigami know that.

* * *

Shawlong couldn't withstand Hitsugaya at full power. Already Nakeem had fallen to the captain's lieutenant, and he barely had time to order a retreat before the captain was upon him. In the last moments before his brain froze into straight ice, he questioned his own actions. Who was he telling to retreat? He knew that everyone else was dead. Sadly, he realized that he was genuinely afraid of this Shinigami. He didn't need to tell anyone to run. He just needed to express his fear somehow. _'I guess that was just my natural reaction…'_

And that was his last thought.

* * *

"Naru-kun? Nya~aaa… What's wrong?" Her sweet voice yawned out from behind them. Kisame and Naruto both turned and looked at Hinata, still dressed in her nightgown and with a white blanket around her shoulders. Her face betrayed her true desire, which was to sleep. Naruto smiled and walked over to her. "It's nothing Hinata. You should be asleep y'know."

She looked at him sleepily. "I know. But when I realized you were gone, I got worried…" He smiled gently and wrapped his arms around her equally as gently. "I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have done that. I made you worry, and I should never do that."

She leaned into him, nuzzling his chest with her face. "It's alright. It's not like I was scared. Just concerned." Kisame rolled his eyes and turned back to the cityscape. Samehada was giving him updates on surges of power and whatnot, as well as how much it liked or disliked the different tastes it sense. Unfortunately, while Kisame would usually use these updates to find his prey, he had been restrained by Naruto to non-aggressive operations for the moment. He didn't really have a choice. Samehada wouldn't fight Naruto. Ever.

No, it liked his chakra too much. But that didn't mean it wouldn't consume whatever wisps of energy that happened to escape the boy's body.

That was the one reason that when Killer Bee let Samehada go to Naruto, he had given it back to Kisame for safekeeping. Naruto had no use for the blade in death. He was powerful enough. So with the item still in his possession when he died, he gave it back to the fish-man. It was also because Naruto anticipated him and the Kyuubi fusing that he gave it to Kisame. If The Kyuubi and he fused, even with the Kyuubi's darkness extinguished, and the Kyuubi and Naruto fusion was somehow turned against his precious people, the others would need every able body available to stop him. Kisame was one of those people.

Killer Bee grumbled that Naruto gave the "sword" back to the Kiri-nuke-nin, but eventually settled for the concept that he was capable of "taking that Shark-Skin back with a closing curtain." Kisame took it as an "I can beat you anyway" when he heard it.

He gave an anxious sigh when he felt that very man approach. He could see him leaping from building to building heading dead straight at him. With a final rush, he jumped and landed on the same roof as them. He dropped down between the couple and Kisame.

"Hey Naruto my man! Where you been? The whole Ninja world's been trippin'! Pro'lly been spendin' too much time with that hot babe o' yours, ne?" He said in rhyme.

Enka-rap… Kisame never touched the stuff. In fact, he preferred to crumple it up and burn it in hell's flames. At least then he'd know it was gone for good. What was worse is that Naruto had immediately picked it up and learned to perform it equally as well as its originator. Indeed, the ninja world almost ended for a second time.

Naruto had shifted his position. Hinata stood between him and Killer Bee. Both were facing him, with Naruto behind her, his arms around her shoulders and his nose nuzzling her neck as he peered over her shoulder with a grin.

"Maybe, maybe not. Not like I've ever been caught. Nah, can't prove somthin' you never seen, right, Octopus King?" Naruto shot back, rubbing his arms across his wife's belly and shoulders very suggestively. Hinata blushed and feebly tried contain him. But it wasn't like she wanted to completely stop him. Not at all. Embarrassed to do this in front of such a friend as KB, yes. Able to resist the sensation… not so much.

"Man, that aint right! We've been bustin' our asses trying to fight a war and you're foolin 'round with her tight-"

**"Don't say it." **KB jumped at the sound of Naruto's deep voice. Naruto only allowed the playing to go so far. Normally he would have gone quite a bit further than was Bee was suggesting, but at the moment his lack of sleep was getting to him. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap."

"No problem. Tired; right? It's been a long night." Bee said understandingly.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. C'mon. You can bunk with me and Hina-chan." Hinata looked askance at Naruto at the declaration. An affirming nod from the blond assured her. Bee offered a two finger salute and turned to the other occupant of the roof with glee.

"Yo, Kisame-san! What's- Hey! Don't give me that dead-pan! I'm tryin' to be nice here man!" He exclaimed as Kisame gave him a bored glare.

"The day you stop rapping… I'll eat my own arm." Kisame countered coldly. KB slapped him on the back roughly. "That's the spirit! Fo' shit!"

Kisame's left eye twitched. His urge to shred the man into tiny, little, baby-bite-sized pieces restrained trough sheer willpower.

"Oi! Bee, quit picking on Kisame! Kisame, get some sleep!" Called Naruto. Kisame sighed as Bee saluted again. In the distance, their views were drawn to a dark wave of energy unleashed in an arc, shattering the sky and exploding. Kisame registered it as the same reiatsu as the orange haired boy from Soukyoku hill.

"What's goin' on over there?" Bee asked. Naruto shrugged. He honestly didn't care. It wasn't one of theirs. Just a Shinigami kid and a Hollow. Not his concern.

* * *

Orochimaru planted his hands on the ground, channeling his power into the gate. The open doors glowed with a white aura that pulsed and shot out both ends, a long tunnel of ejecting before dimming again. Orochimaru blinked his eyes, forcing them to get used to the darkness after such a massive flash. He was not disappointed. Another figure stood directly before the gate. His arms were crossed and his face was passive. He was already staring at Orochimaru's childlike body.

"What's going on?" His voice was monotone, very rarely expressing emotion. His eyes were cold and calculating. Orochimaru panted. This one was difficult to forcibly bring here. "You're in another world now. I was able to summon you using an advanced technique… of sorts."

The other wasn't surprised. A technique capable of force-summoning another human, and one of his capabilities, to another world… He wouldn't put it past him. "I've already summoned the Hachibi, and the Kyuubi has been here for a while." The gate behind the stoic one vanished in an explosion of smoke. Not even a flinch from either.

_'I guess that's all I can do for now.'_ Thought Orochimaru as he stood. "C'mon, I'll lead you to them."

"I think I know how to find my friends far easier than you, Orochimaru of the Sannin." He said. His short hair was spiked and crimson as blood. "The only reason why I'm not surprised Naruto hasn't killed you yet is because of his personality. He's unpredictable. However, I am not; try and trick me and I'll kill you."

Orochimaru chuckled. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Kazekage-dono."

Gaara glanced at the hebi-Sannin at the mention of his former title. Shrugging it off, he stepped methodically toward the forest surrounding the clearing before vanishing into a stream of sand that blew to the wind. Orochimaru said nothing else and likewise shimmered out of view.

It was not best to keep the Ichibi Jinchūriki waiting.

* * *

He was gone. Just like that. Grimmjow was gone. Dragged back to who-knows-where by Kaname Tousen. And, just like that, their fight had ended and it was clear who had won. Ichigo gripped his sword tightly, his teeth clenched. "Grimmjow…"

* * *

**_A/N: And there it is! Well, I didn't know how to end the chapter well with what I had, so I just cut it off the instead of continuing. I hope you guys like it. REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU! _**

_In brotherly way! Come on!_

**_PS. If you're Interested in making Fan Art of any of my stories, please let me know! It would be greatly appreciated if you did! If you're interested don't hesitate to send me a message! 'Till next time!_**


	20. Chapter 20: Aftermath

**A/N: Well, I was kind of disappointed by the lack of reviews to the recent chapter of A Curious Thing, which I'm willing to bet was because it was updated too quickly. To those of you who sort your favorites by date updated, I think my story was updated too quickly for any other story to get in front of it so you were like "Oh, it hasn't been updated" when in reality it was updated twice. So from now on, I'll be updating S&S and ACT one after another. That way you'll know when both have ben updated.**

**Onto the acknowledgements! **Sniper Artist**,** Kage Bijuu**,** zentary**,** Clemerl**,** OBSERVER01**, **XllShadowMasterllX**,** Flamelord99**,** lightningblade99**, **hellzanetruesdale**,** Saisaici - The Helper**,** The Laughing Phoenix**, **Skelo**, **Hood Fox 3**, **Trife**, **Fic Slayr**, **One Universe**, **Alehhandro**,** Soraya the All Speaker**,** marc**, **storyreaderlovespie**,** Random dude, reviewer**,** sword**, **algebraiya**,** georgeofthecity**, and** Freehawk**. **

**Now I think I got everyone. However, this time it was a little bit difficult considering that of the 28 reviews, 16 were from members, while 12 were anonymous. I found it funny that they allmost out-numbered the member reviews :P However, while I do appreciate your reviews, I have a bone to pick with one of you in particular. **

**That person is the anonymous (no surprise there) flamer, reviewer. To you, I say; what the Hell? Don't force your views of how a relationship should be on me! You said, **"I liked this pairing untill i looked at in a realistic way and compared it to real relationships and love...Let me as you a question after a girl you loved or crushed on rejected you,do you automatically go for the one you find out likes you even though you never looked at her romatically or evrn shared aword after her confession of love to you march up to her and suddenly say i realised its you i love not her,then she excepts you and all is alright in paradise without a second thought.." **Ok, first off, learn to spell you two year old. Second, yes I would. Why? Because the love of the one who loved me first would spill over, and I'd learn to love them as equally as they do me. Also, you need to take into account Naruto's past. He, who has had no such thing as "love" nor has probably had any hope for such a thing, suddenly finds out "Oh hey, they've loved me this entire time. Wow I'm dumb. I guess I should say somthing to her", but in a more dramatic way. Put yourself in his unloved shoes and tell me you wouldn't do the same. If you said "I would do diferently," its probably because you're a griefer who has a different pairing preference. **

**I take personal offence to this considering this actualy happened to me in real life. I liked this girl, and she didn't like me the same way, however, her friend, and aquantence of mine whom I hardly looked at, or considered dating material, apporached me and told me she like-liked me. Now, you could say I'm soft, and I felt sorry for her, but let me ask you, isn't Naruto the same way? Even so, for Naruto, it wouldn't be pity, it would be a revelation to him in such a way that he would instantly be forced to reconsider his so-called "feelings" for Sakura. **

**And who says this needs to be based off of real life? FanFiction is our way of escaping life and immersing ourselves in the unreal! You faggots who try and place us back in the real world of pain don't deserve the imagination you've been given! Dont force your worldview on me, or anyone else who happens to be different! **

"This reinforces my point of naruto/hinata fans you think by some definition hinata belongs to naruto and lack any respect for her and keep her meek and pitfully weak so she depends on naruto in everyone ,if hinata was narutos wife and heir of the hyuga clan or may be even clan head she must have been able to defeat some fodder shikigami considering the hyuga fighting style and it should be impossible to sneak up on her and should be able to sense spirit pressure with the lifetime of shinobi experience she has and the naivety should not be there whole still could be nice."

**Maybe you didn't realize it, but she was attacked by surprise. And just because she's a shinobi doesnt mean that she's lost the gift to allways think the best of others. I protray Hinata with subtle strength that you don't immeditately see or recognize. You kind of just contradicted yourself. As a shinobi, she wouldn't have even known about reiatsu or reiryoku, so how could she have mastered detection of it in a few days? And In what part of the scene did any of the men use spirit preasure anyway? He hit her over the head with a pipe. That doesn't take some sort of enhanced technique! Naivety... Hinata is not naieve. As I said, she simply thinks the best of others. She is willing to put aside grudges or suspicions of others in favor of kindness and gentleness. Is there somthing wrong with that?**

"you resaying am a fanatic naruto/sakura fan ask yourself why doesnt naruto go look for any other girl besides her..whats to say he doesnt have a shot with temari respect him for gara and would give him a chance,tenten too could give one..you would say NO cos they belong to shikimaru or negi wouldnt may be hinata and kiba or shino I am willing to bet she knows them alot more than naruto."

**I'm not sure... Is that a question, or a statement? I'll treat it as a question. Why doesn't he have a shot with any of them? Because there is not CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT for ANY OF IT! Never once did he view any of them as potential love interests, so there would be absolutely ZERO foundation for such a relationship. Same with Kiba/Hina and Shino/Hina. They're teammates, but never once have they been shown to consider each other any more than teammates. Such a relationship would have no foundation.**

**You criticize me for treating Hinata like a doormat; not considering what she would do. I throw that coment back at you. Would Hinata place her faith in anyone other than Naruto? No. Never once has she stalked Kiba, or Shino nor once considered them as potential love interests. Your claims to the contrary are easily undermined. **

"sorry i came off as are entitled to write as you like my apologies."

**Ok, I appreciate the apology, but for some reason I view this as a parent catching the child doing somthing bad, and demanding them to appologize to the other person; a bit forced.**

**Sorry for my rant, but I felt it was necessary. I don't like feeding the griefers, but this guy pissed me off.**

**Anyway, this chapter is more for developing some of the characters in the story. Yes, I am purposefully extending the Bleach story line so I can have more time to bring in the characters needed and give them the development they require. This one won't progress the plot too far, so I gues you could consider it a filler, though its not completley fluff. its also a bit short, but I wanted to get it done, so I cut it off a bit. But it's still fairly long, I think.**

**I was also tempted to put in a Lemon scene in this chapter, but I wasn't sure. I have a poll on my home page on whether I should put another one in soon or not. It probably will be NaruHina again though. I know, Sorry to all you other pairing fans, but I find any other pairing difficult to work with. I WILL try and work one out for them too, fear not! If you want, you can tell me in the reviews too.**

**Well, have fun!**

**

* * *

****Chapter 20: Aftermath**

"That's enough, Zaku." Dosu commanded. Zaku, who was flirting rather roughly with Kin, turned and glared at the bandaged man. Kin, thankful for a respite, turned and ran, fleeing for the safety of her room. By the time Zaku turned back to her, she was already too far away for even his **Sonido **to reach her.

"Oh! Wonderful! She's gone already. You really need to learn to mind your own business, Dosu!" Zaku yelled angrily at his fellow Números. Dosu glared back uncaringly.

"You go too far, Zaku,. As usual. Couldn't you tell she'd had enough?" Dosu said as he got up from the sandy ground.

"Who cares? I'm allowed to have my fun!" Zaku said, turning away.

"No, you're not. Not at the expense of a fellow Arrancar, and especially not when that person is a _teammate_."

Zaku scoffed. "Whatever." Dosu grunted in annoyance as his colleague tromped off to who-knows-where. Zaku had recently started this; it was a cycle of get bold, go too far, explode, chill, and back again. He had a pretty good idea why. Dosu had recently begun having dreams about, what he assumed could be memories of his most recent life. Zaku obviously came to the same conclusion and apparently wasn't too happy about it. Dosu didn't blame him; the dreams he'd had were less than gallant. But he wouldn't stand for him to blow steam on a teammate.

Dosu and Zaku had been turned into Arrancar around the same time, and for as long as they could remember, they had traveled together. Kin was different. She'd been turned into an Arrancar maybe sixty or seventy years after them. She had been brought to them because she claimed to have recognized them. They didn't argue; they felt the connection themselves. They had often pondered why they had this connection to each other, but had often come up blank, commonly speculating that they "Must have been good friends when we were alive."

They often trained with each other, building up so they could become Fracción once the new Espada were implemented. They, unfortunately, didn't cut it. Kin had been devastated by the fact, especially since she'd had eyes on the current Cuatro Espada. Not that he was supposed to know about that. He was certain she didn't know that he knew, and he wanted to keep it that way.

The position had been given to some "Kimimaro" guy whom Dosu had never seen before until his instatement. He had to admit though; the man looked powerful, and equally as cold as the Espada he served. He shuffled off to his Kin's room to check up on her. Zaku had _really_ gone too far this time, and he figured she'd need someone to talk to.

* * *

"Welcome back, Grimmjow." Aizen exclaimed with a deceptively warm smile. Grimmjow remained silent.

Tousen, off to his left, gave him a not so subtle verbal nudge. "Well? Don't you have something to say, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow didn't raise his head, but kept his eyes downward, almost disappointedly. "Not really." Why would he have anything to say?

"How dare you-!"

"It's all right, Kaname." Aizen cut in from his throne high above them. "I'm not upset in the least with Grimmjow's actions."

"Aizen-sama!" Tousen exclaimed astounded.

"I believe Grimmjow's actions were an attempt to please me that got a bit carried away." Aizen explained. "Isn't that right, Grimmjow?"

Grimmjow considered denying it, but that would be risky. It was obvious Aizen wanted him to answer yes. "That's right."

Before he could blink, Tousen's gloved hand griped his collar and held tight. Grimmjow looked over with a bored expression. "What the hell's your problem, Tousen?" A small stare down ensued between the two before Tousen finally looked away and in anger demanded, "Aizen-sama, give me permission to execute him!"

"Kaname…" Aizen began, but whatever he was going to say was cut off. Grimmjow knocked Tousen's arm away, taking a good two steps back.

"You wish. You just can't stand me, can you? Is it ok for a commanding officer to act like that?"

"I believe those who disturb the peace should not be forgiven. That's all." Kaname shot back instantly, not a shred of hesitance in his voice.

"…For the sake of our group?"

"For Aizen-sama."

"Ha! You're always thinking about your morals, aren't you?" Grimmjow mocked with a smirk.

"That's right. I act based on my morals. Which your actions completely lack. Without a higher cause behind it, justice is no more than slaughter." He grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakutō, drawing it from its sheath an inch or so. "But, slaughter in the name of a higher cause… is justice."

In the blink of an eye, his sword flashed into the light and down towards Grimmjow's left arm. There was an audible slash, and blood dripped to the floor. Tousen's eyes widened and Aizen's twinkled in amusement a small smile forming on his lips. Tousen's eyes widened, as did nearly everyone else's at the spectacle.

"If slaughter is justified, then it is acceptable… is that what you're saying?" Tousen's eyes narrowed now, a snarl forming on his lips. "You…!"

The figure that stood between Grimmjow and Tousen shifted his arm, throwing Tousen's blade to the side. "Is not justice susceptible to personal opinion? Would not Grimmjow-dono's actions then be justified by his account?" He stood between the two as if he were an immovable wall.

"Kimimaro... You are dangerously overstepping your bounds!" Tousen spat. The white haired Arrancar did not flinch. "I am simply pointing out how Grimmjow was justified in his actions. If that meets with your displeasure, then do as you see fit."

"If that is your decision." Tousen growled out, leaping forward to attack. He swung his sword down, aiming to bisect the Kaguya down the middle. Kimimaro was unfazed. It was his duty to do right by Aizen. One should not go about killing their own soldiers, especially when those soldiers are so difficult to replace. It was simply not what superiors did. But if his death would bring him to that realization, then it was worth it. For Aizen-sama's sake.

Tousen's blade descended down. Kimimaro was already resigned to whatever fate he might receive. But Fate itself, had different plans for him. A speeding white blur intercepted the ebony captain, holding the blade not an inch above Kimimaro's head.

"Whooo… Scary sca~ry! Almost got yerself killed there Kimimaro-han." Gin's stood, grinning as usual, directly in front of the former ninja. He was bent over slightly, bringing himself to Kimimaro's eye level. The blade that was intended to kill him lay in Gin's wiry grasp, the former captain being careful not to let it go. Tousen was stunned. "Gin… Even you…?"

"Aizen-taicho, sorry for interuptin', but I kinda like this kid too much ta let him die. So…" He said, turning back to Aizen but still holding onto the blade.

Aizen smirked and leaned on a fist. "Its fine, Gin. He amuses me as well. Kaname, sheath your blade."

"But Aizen-sama-!"

"Kaname." The black captain froze. "Don't make me have to tell you a second time." Tousen clenched his teeth but obliged. Gin released his hold on his fellow former-captain's blade.

Kaname, seethed from being humiliated in such a way and in front of the very person he despised, that being Grimmjow.

"However, Grimmjow, due to your actions, you are hereby removed from the Espada." Aizen said, now returning to his serious face. Grimmjow's eyes widened and he made as if to argue, but he immediately closed his mouth. He had no choice but to accept it.

He clenched his fists and turned and stormed out of the throne room. What's wrong with killing people? He was only acting like the Hollow he was. _'Us Hollow shouldn't even be putting up with those Shinigami bastards in the first place!'_

Even as he did, Kimimaro gave a gentle bow of thanks to Aizen before stepping back.

"However, Kimimaro, whether you believe you are right or not, you should not directly, and publicly, defy your superiors. Whereas I had originally planned the next stage of my plan to include you, I'm afraid you'll have to sit this one out as punishment." Aizen finished before the Kaguya got too far back.

The Kaguya bowed again. "As you wish Aizen-sama. If you are finished with me, I need to check on my comrades."

Aizen noted his unfazed complexion and grinned. "Very well, you may go." Twisting on his heal, Kimimaro turned and stepped lightly out of the chamber. Ulquiorra watched him go, not sure whether to be disappointed by him or approving. When his Fracción was out of sight he stepped forward. It was now only the three commanders and him. "Aizen-sama, if you don't mind, I have a question for you."

"Ahh, Ulquiorra. Yes, go ahead and ask." Kaname hadn't moved still brooding, while Gin had begun to retreat to a nearby wall to lean on.

"Why was that man made a Fracción rather than an Espada?" The question was surprising. Aizen only grinned all the more. As expected, Ulquiorra's eyes were sharper than ever.

"Hierro that can block a captain's bade, a calculating mind like mine, surpassing loyalty… How exactly did he end up as a Fracción?" Aizen's face didn't change.

Indeed, Kimimaro had strong Hierro; Kaname's blade hadn't cut more than a few millimeters into his skin, and a trail of blood droplets on the floor denoted the Fracción's path afterword. Few, if any, Fracción were capable of that type of defense.

"Are you questioning my decision?" Aizen asked almost threateningly.

"Merely inquiring." Ulquiorra stated flatly and impassively.

"Very well then. Like you deduced, he is probably low Espada material, possibly equal to Zommari's level. However, the reason he is not in the position of Espada is because he refused to show his Resurrección."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly. "Refused?"

Aizen nodded. "When asked to show us, his full power, he refused. He claimed that his Resurrección was actually weaker than his current strength. Because of this, since we can't correctly gauge his full capabilities, he has been denied the position of Espada."

"Does he realize this?" Ulquiorra asked, somewhat surprised one would openly reject the title.

"Oh yes, I made it clear if he did not show me, he would have no chance of ascending higher. Curiously, I think he prefers to bow low than to stand high."

Ulquiorra blinked. He didn't understand it. But then, he must have his reasons, however strange they must be. "Thank very much Aizen-sama. I will take my leave now." He turned and walked out of the throne room as well, leaving the three ex-Shinigami alone.

Kimimaro treaded across the sands of Hueco Mundo's desert. It had been a lie that he needed to check up on his friends. What he really needed was time alone with himself. The flashes had been flooding his mind lately, revealing brutal and frightening images of his supposed past. Had they only happened once, he might have dismissed them as some crazy fantasy he had deep down. But the fact that he was actually able to piece them together into a sort of chapter-by-chapter picture book meant that they were simply old memories floating back to the surface.

But every time he had them, especially recently he would collapse, have whatever dreams he would, wake up and notice the black lines extending from his Hollow hole, including a burning pain accompanying it. But, as always, it would recede and leave no trace.

He gently pinched the two split slabs of skin on his left arm together. Slowly, the skin began fusing back together. He had a mildly fast regeneration ability, which he supposed he'd only recently found out about. In truth, his Hierro wasn't all that strong. In fact, it was very _weak_. The only advantage he had was not his _Hierro_, but his _Acero_.

His bones were noticeably stronger than his skin, and this included density and stability. While light, they were extremely compact, to the point that even Tousen's blade could only nick it a bit. But even that small nick was erased as his proteins began filling the gaps.

He sighed in annoyance. He wore his Zanpakutō in the _"tachi"_ style (worn with the edge down, rather than the edge up like a normal katana), tightly tucked into his black sash. He had a feeling he'd need it very soon. Nnoitra was bound to catch wind of his strong Hierro and come after him. Even with him being a Fracción, Nnoitra's position as Espada pretty much meant he could do what he wanted.

That was the reason he was so far from the walls of Las Noches. He needed t make sure no one saw or felt what he was about to do. Fingering the hilt of his blade he took a few deep breaths, exhaling long and slow. He lightly lifted the blade from its sheath, staring impassively at the unforgiving dunes.

"**Impale-**"

* * *

**(The Game, Disturbed)**

Golden reiatsu spun through the massive room, twisting between the red pillars and clinging to it like energized honey. "Kuso!" The woman's shrill voice cried out as she shielded her eyes. "You're really going to release your Zanpakutō in this place? This is our turf!"

Her only answer was the howling of the energy around her. "I won't be caught by your webs again!" She brought her yo-yo like Zanpakutō up and swung it around like a slingshot. "**Rip off, Golondrina!**"

Cirucci felt her body both lighten and become heavy at the same time, as her own blue reiatsu burst forward to meet the golden gale. Pure spiritual power tore through the pillared room, clashing with the unnatural force of conflicting interests and hidden emotions.

Large wings sprouted from Cirucci's back, each with ten crescent-shaped blades on them in place of feathers. Her mask became a beak-like headpiece with a large, feathery mane protruding from it, covering most of her body and trailing past her legs. She also gained a long, prehensile tail, which emerged from her back and large, disc-like pieces of armor that formed around her shoulders. In addition, her arms became long and slender, with large claws. This was Golondrina, _her_ Resurrección.

As soon as she donned it, she knew she was admitting somewhat of a defeat. The fact that this… _Números_ was pressuring her into such a state was incomprehensible! But here she was, in that very position.

The tormented wind died down on both sides as the reiatsu began to settle. To be honest, she had no idea what to expect. She'd never seen this Arrancar's Resurrección before, and was completely unsure as to what might happen. A quiet zipping sound alerted her to danger and she raised a bladed wing in time to stop a golden projectile from piercing her chest. The missile shattered upon contact with her vibrating wing-blades. She looked in the direction it came from but found only pillars. A quick swipe of her wings fixed that problem. They fell to the ground, cut clean in two.

But what they revealed was nothing. There was absolutely nothing. Two more wisps followed, quickly trailed by loud breaking sounds, like crushed glass. She lowered her wings and spun around with a scream. The "feathers" on her wing flew off, spinning and slicing through the pillars in her way, clearing the area well enough to see her opponent. He eyes widened. He hug supported by large threads attached to nearby pillars, a golden bow positioned at his feet and an equally golden arrow loaded and held back in his teeth. All three of his eyes glowed with entertainment. Without a word, his mouth opened and let flew the arrow. It ripped forward, tearing through the air, directly at her head. Her eyes widened as her wings were recalled for defense. They barely made it. The arrow that would have gone through her head snapped in half and fell to the floor.

She grit her teeth and resisted the urge to pant at the amount of energy she'd spent to bring them back so quickly. When she peaked out from her protective wings, her opponent was gone. But now he was close enough to feel his reiatsu. He'd been hiding it, and doing a good job too, but now she knew where he was.

With a battle cry she flew through the air towards him. The Pillars collapsed under her wings and tail as she cleared a path toward him. Her eyes widened when a golden arrow sung toward her, dodging out of the way, she saw hi jump up on top of the pillars and leap across them erratically, firing his missiles at her continuously. Without time to set up properly, there was much less force behind them then there had been.

But she wasn't fooled by his nonsensical weaving between the pillars and pursued him, quickly catching up. That was when he suddenly spun and reared back, spitting out an impossible mass of moist threads at her. "I told you I wouldn't fall for it!" She swung her claws and wings, cutting through the threads easily. But when she'd turned back to him, he was already on the move again, shooting arrow after arrow at her.

With a yell, she dodged them this time, and threw her wings forward, tearing toward his fleeing form.

She had him now, or at least, that what she thought until he cocked his head to the side, just far enough for her to see his smirk.

"**Trap one: Estrangulamiento.**" She watched in absolute surprise as her blades completely redirected around him and flew back at her, landing back in their designated slots.

"What was that, just now?" She asked hesitantly, but still with fury in her voice. His only answer was to load up another arrow on his bow, aim it at her and fire. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "I'll just break it again!" She swung her left wing at it and it shattered.

Its pieces fell to the ground. Oh but it wasn't the arrow that shattered. She looked in horror as the blade that had taken the impact of the arrow now lay broken and useless. "H-how-?"

"Those blades vibrate at an average rate of 1,200,000 times a second. As long as they did, my arrows would continue to break on contact. Lucky for me you were too stupid to notice the webbing you kept running through." Her eyes widened and she looked at her wings. She could barely see the sheen from the thin, almost invisible webs that crisscrossed the blades.

"Spiders have five different types of silk. You've been unknowingly running into the dragline silk. As far as unit weight goes, that webbing is stronger than steel. To deflect those blades a moment ago, I used the aciniform silk. That one is three times tougher than even dragline silk. Unfortunately they stick pretty well, especially to metal."

His mouth bulged for a moment before he spat out another arrow. This one had a drill bit tip that looked especially dangerous. "Normally, you can only cut a vibrating object with another object vibrating at an equal or greater frequency. However there is another way. First you have to decrease the amount of vibrations they make per second. As I'm sure you can tell, your wings have been slowed considerably." She looked at her wings and could indeed tell they were barely even moving.

"Second, is to use a piercing object with force equal to or greater than the vibration rate." He drew the string on the bow back and aimed. The fins on the arrow were strangely twisted, in sync with the drill tip. "This arrow will spin at a rate of 678 times a second. With your vibration rate decreased to about 340,000… I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at." He said with a malicious sneer.

She grit her teeth and charged forward. If she could dodge it, she could still kill him with her claws. But she didn't get far before her arms were suddenly stopped by a seemingly invisible force. She turned her head quickly to see them tangled in more webs.

"Minor-ampullate silk; it's used during construction as a base for the other webs. It also works pretty will for tying people up, so to speak."

His fingers opened slowly, eventually releasing the arrow from its anchor. With a terrible whine, it raced through the air.

But there was no way Cirucci was going to die like this. Throwing her barely usable wing-blades through even more webs, she hoped to use them as a deflector to knock the attack away, or a buffer, should it penetrate them all.

They all lined up one after the other and the arrow. The first one met blade with tip, and the arrow quickly proved its superiority by chewing through it. The second one met the same fate, as did the rest as it simply shattered them like cheap pottery on its road to her destruction. But when it got to her, she was no longer there. The assailant's eyes widened as he looked around. He spotted her across from him to his right, both of them standing on one of the few remaining pillars.

It looked as though she'd torn her Resurrección's arms off, and he knew what that meant.

"You're joking right?"

"I hate to admit it, but I could've definitely died if that had hit. It's not like I really had a choice. Besides, discarding them allows me to pour all of my energy into this." Her tail rose up and the tip split creating a large fan of energy, coincidently reminiscent of a swallow's tail.

A quick, but careful look around her showed millions of tiny threads, linked loosely to the pillars and rubble around her, and even to the high ceiling. When she was sure she knew where most of them were, she swung her tail, cutting through them and leaping forward toward the Números.

He smirked as the energy in her tail turned into a sword, which she swung down at him. Her body suddenly stopped, and hung suspended in the air. "Wha-? But I cut through them!"

"I told you, minor-ampullate is just the basic building blocks for the rest of the web. I knew you'd look for them and try and cut them, so I had another set of threads surrounding me to trap you. You're now caught in my capture-spiral silk. As the name implies, it's meant for catching prey. They're sticky, extremely stretchy and tough, and they're set up just right so when you tumble into it, you'll never get out."

She struggled hard to break free of the webs. Even her tail of energy was caught, and she couldn't flex it to cut the threads around her.

The man smiled and shook his head, walking away. "**Trap two: Destripamiento.**" All of a sudden, the thin strands of silk drifting around her curled and tightened, snapping taught and tightening, constricting her for only a moment before slicing right through her, eviscerating her, as the name implied.

She didn't even have time to scream before the blood fell from her in large puddles, limbs falling off and splashing in the pool of red liquid. What was left of her fell apart and to the ground, even as the threads slackened and fell over her remains, forming a web blanket, also soaking up the blood. "You'd never fall for my web again, you said? Before the words even left your mouth, you were already sealed inside it." He scoffed.

Even Privaron Espada were no match for him.

* * *

"Naruto." Her voice was soft, but commanding.

"Hm? Need something Hina?" Naruto asked as her turned to her.

"Naruto-kun, please let me participate in the next battle." She said firmly, her face displaying her desire to fight.

Naruto blinked. "Well, I suppose you can, but you don't really need to ask me so early on y'know."

"I just wanted you to know ahead of time. I've been sitting out this whole war, and it's getting to me. I'm not just some weak girl that always has some tragic accident. I-"

She was silence by his lips meeting hers. She blinked. _'When did he move? I was looking at him the whole time.'_

He separated from her and smiled. "You're also not some kid who has to ask permission. You're a fully grown woman y'know. Do as you like. But just make sure you don't overdo it." He smiled gently at her, his right hand aimlessly playing with her locks of hair.

She smiled, but was genuinely surprised. Ever since Seireitei, Naruto had not let her out of his sight when he thought they were in unsafe territory. But one look in his shining blue eyes showed why he agreed. He believed in her power, and her desire to fight for him. They were husband and wife; he realized she wanted to fight to protect him just as much as he wanted to fight to protect her.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly. Naruto chuckled and lifted her up, carrying her up to their room.

"One condition though..." He added suddenly as he opened the door. "You let me drive." He grinned wryly at her and with a twinkle in his eyes. She blushed and nodded with a satisfied expression as he closed the door behind them and locked it.

* * *

Suffering. Absolute suffering on levels Sasuke didn't couldn't even imagine. The pain pulsed through every limb and thought as he stood, unable to turn away from his fate.

"Oh come on Sasuke, it looks good on you!" Sakura's energetic cry came from beside him.

"…I feel like I'm going to puke." He deadpanned as he looked at his wife.

"Well you can't exactly wear your usual outfit so we need to find something that you can wear out."

Sasuke turned his head over to the clothes rack. "I have an idea; how about I pick out the clothes and you tell me if they look good or not?" He said. Sakura looked at him surprised. Was he actually willing to work with her on this? "Sure! That's perfectly fine!" Sasuke sighed in relief and shucked the clothes he was currently wearing out of the dressing room. He knew he'd just admitted some type of defeat by even asking the question, but it was worth it. _'Anything to get e out of those gaudy clothes.'_

She'd fitted him in a completely black outfit with black straps and belts, along with a black choker. She was even about to put on black makeup to complete the look. _'For crying out loud! I'm _formerly _emo, not currently gothic!'_ He went over to the jeans and picked out a pair of basic blue pants. Turning around, he went over to the shirts and looked through them. Finding a basic white button-up, he slung them both over an arm and disappeared into the changing room.

A minute later he reappeared in both. His shirt was unbuttoned the first two buttons, allowing enough breathing room. His sleeves were rolled up to just before his elbows. Beneath that he had a white tank-top undershirt that clung to his body tightly. His blue jeans were actually a bit looser than he'd expected, so they rode fairly low on his hips, leaving enough of them to drag on the floor by his heels. Sakura looked up from her book and blinked. She looked back down at the book, and then back at her husband.

"So? How do I look?" She blinked again. She stood up and circled him, as if examining some precious stone. "Well?" He asked again.

She looked down at her book again and shook her head. "You look good, for once." She said playfully. He smirked at her jab. "Hey now, I resemble that comment."

She laughed as she hung on his arm. "By the way, what book is that?" She handed it to him, not exactly given a choice in whether he grabbed it or not. "It's a manga. Comic books and stuff around here are really cool, so I thought I'd read a few." Sasuke stopped flipping through it to turn it over and look at the title. "Death Note, huh? Sounds cheesy."

"Oh its really good! Just reading it makes me feel like my IQ's increasing!" She said honestly. Sasuke went back to glancing through it. He'd passed a few pages before he stopped and went back. "…Well I'll be damned…"

The page he stopped on was a picture of a young black haired teen with a bored, almost apathetic expression on his face. He stood rather casually with both hands in his pockets, and on one bare foot, while the other scratched his heel. He wore a plain white long-sleeved shirt and basic blue jeans.

Sasuke blinked. He looked at the picture and then down at himself. "…Now that just creepy."

Sakura smiled and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. He looked at her and held the manga volume up. "Mind if I get a copy?"

With his interest piqued, she nodded. "Sure, but first we have to buy these clothes!" And so she shoved him back into the changing room so he could get redressed. But Sasuke knew better than to believe he was done shopping yet. They were just buying this outfit now, so they don't have to later. _'Damn it, I just encouraged her, didn't I?'_

* * *

Gaara, having recently had to put up with Bee's rapping explanation of what exactly was going on, with the bizarre chibi-Orochimaru giving more detailed explanations where necessary. It had been a long, and strange story, but he'd managed to hang with it to the end. "I see. Then what was the purpose of my summoning?"

His jade eyes turned on the serpent incarnate. Said fellow looked back impassively. "It was a complete test. Modifying my own jutsu is difficult and requires practice to perfect it. Forcefully summoning an individual of Jinchūriki levels isn't easy after all. Now that I know I can summon two Jinchūriki before I give out, I can deduce an average of nearly a hundred basic soldiers can be summoned before I run out of energy." He explained.

"So we were a level test." Gaara mused.

Orochimaru nodded. "Using you as a sort of 'maximum limit', I can measure the amount of people I can summon by their power levels." Orochimaru didn't say it, but that also meant that anyone he tried to force summon from his location to another location was also limited to that same number.

"Anyway, I'm going to be absent from school and meetings for a while. Naruto's having me do some stuff, so spread the word."

"Yo, can't you tell us a bit mo'?" Bee asked.

"Unfortunately, no." He said in continuation to Bee's rhyme. He offered no more as he walked out with a smirk, heading to his room.

* * *

Suigetsu stood stalwart and unmoving, the hot water running down his naked form; one hand on the wall in front of him, supporting himself as he stared blankly down at the floor. The steam from the heat rose around him, greedily being sucked up by the fan. The temperature was turned up so high the water would be scalding to anyone else, but to Suigetsu, it was soothing. But his mind wasn't on the water, or even on getting clean, as it probably should have been.

It was focused on the memories of last night.

He thought he'd be able to at least stand a chance against those Arran-thingies, but the difference in power between the two he fought was just too great. The way he was beaten so easily was…

He gritted his teeth and smashed the tile he'd been leaning against so hard it buckled and cracked.

…it was _humiliating_.

If only he'd been more powerful. If only he'd had more-

"Suigetsu, are you ok? I heard a crash." He heard Karin's worried voice from the other side of the door.

His expression didn't falter, and his narrowed unconsciously. "…Yeah…" He clenched his unused fist. "…I'm just peachy." He muttered.

* * *

Deidara was ecstatic. Guns in this world were so _fucking_ fun!

"Damn I'm lovin' this!" He yelled out as he emptied the magazine into the target at the end of the range. Eventually the banging gave way to faint clicks as the last bullet was fired. "Tch, finished already?" He reached into his pocket while walking back to the counter. Placing the money down, the clerk slid another two magazines over the counter to the blond. Handing him the empty clip, he took the two new ones and went back to his station.

"Oi, you sure this is the first time you've shot a gun?" The clerk said as he watched the pyromaniac attack the dummy at the end of the range with a renewed passion.

Deidara finished the first mag before turning back to him. "Yeah, why? Am I sucking?"

"Well, no, that's not the problem actually…" Deidara shrugged and loaded up the next clip. Another round of bullets tore into the paper target. Satisfied with his currently sated desire to shoot something, he pressed a button on the wall beside him and the target was drawn toward him on a string for easy retrieval.

"…You're actually acing it." Deidara looked at his handiwork. Every shot he aimed for had hit where he wanted it. Of course the first few shots had been difficult as the recoil was surprising. But his strong hands allowed him to adapt just fine. It was unfortunate, but his gigai did not include the hands on his palms, something he'd told Orochimaru specifically to include. Naruto had told him he couldn't have it though, which pissed him off, however much he understood why. He smirked at the target again. He looked back at the clerk to see his reaction, but his eyes suddenly fixated on something behind the man.

"Hey, what's the difference between those two guns?" He asked, re-approaching the desk.

The manager turned to look at a poster set up behind him with an assortment of gun images. The two the blond pointed to had a basic grip with an oddly square barrel. "Oh, the G-17 and the G-18. Pretty much all guns of that type are the same, expect the G-18 is fully automatic."

"You sell them here?" He said.

"Haha, no we don't. Only the military can use them. Civilians can't get them. Just getting a normal fully automatic gun takes tons of paper work."

"Damn it… Oh well, thanks for the info, and the pleasure." He said, referring to the pleasure of shooting.

"No problem, come back any time!" Unbeknownst to the man, Deidara's swift hands had snatched a gun magazine from under his nose. Deidara had suddenly found a new hobby, and quite a few items to be added to his "to steal" list.

* * *

**A/N: Well there it is. I hoped you like it. To be honest, my drive to continue this story is lacking more and more. Reviews help keep it up and keep me going. Don't forget to make them nice and long! Its much more helpfull to put details in that just say **"great job"** trust me. Anyway, please do so now, before you forget! I look forward to them. **

**Later.**


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